Letting Go
by The Mighty Gamersaurs
Summary: As we live throughout our lives; we question, we wonder, we think. Our potential shouldn’t be underestimated. Humans will always have the chance to change, adapt and evolve to ensure protection and survival. Lincoln has been through immeasurable things, and is stepping into a new family. Let’s see how he fairs against the Loud family. Let’s see what he is capable of.
1. Opening

**Hello everyone. I wanted to start with something new this time; now, I admit, I believe that this story will be considered my genuine first. Believe me when I say... I want to change. "Central Intelligence" will still continue as a short story series and this story will unleash my potential. Possibly. All I want to do is show my best for you all, I hope I won't disappoint. Enjoy!**

**Entry #2: ****Greetings, my friends. Admittedly, I'm a bit anxious to get this story out and into the public; so, please forgive me for not being able to control myself. I want to delete "Lucky Me" but I don't know how, can anyone give me directions? Also, I'd like to mention, that I want to write about other things instead of The Loud House; if you want me to do something different, feel free to suggest. Here are my responses:**

**Loud Risque: I'll try my best to aquatint myself to your standards. And, I apologize for disappointing, but this is not an Adopted Lincoln x Sisters story. But, I will adept myself to make an Adopted Lincoln x Sisters story in the near future, though.**

**364wii: Lincoln will be sixteen in this story. **

**KoalaKing21: Yes, Lincoln has a very extreme level of OCD, and BMS: Broken Mind Syndrome (a fabricated condition I came up with).**

**Enjoy!**

**•O—O—O•**

Chapter 1: Opening

It was a misty beginning with the morning light. A mist born of foamy wonder; deliciously flying through the air. The wistful breeze flowing calmly, but prudent through the ailing trees; the branches raking against the wind like soft whispers, hiding secrets. It was no question that spring was coming. After the hell-storm of winter, everything managed to comfort itself. The buildings now stay quietly stay in place, holding resting people inside. Everyone managed to settle. The solemn bitterness was cut short when the sun rose into the sky. Still shining.

Michigan was a nice place, yes, but it could be so bland in the mixes of fall and spring. Autumn had long passed and infant leaves were sprouting in the edges of twigs within its many trees. The streets were empty, apart from the occasional car passing by, and houses stay drenched in melancholy (preferably blue hue) along with anything else. Still sleeping. Still resting. Upon Barley Street, in Woodsward Avenue, a medium sized building covered an area near the streets' intersections, just meters away from the street light and signs. The building was peach colored, faded bricks lining the wall with a garden of lovely flowers cobbled the outside. Bushes sprinkled across the yard and a stone pathway in the center, cutting through the vegetation. This was the Michigan Orphanage. Where long forgotten things rest in long forgotten places. The place where children go to when they have no one else. The place where they wait for hope; hope that they'll have a better life. Each nook, each cranny, filled with an abundance of childlike wonder. Almost misplaced.

The children's rooms were filled with silence. The white, hospital-like halls introducing equally white rooms which the children inhabit. They were still sleeping. A shame that they couldn't hear the hushed whispers of the wind; letting their imagination run wild trying to figure out what it was saying. A joyous time for interest, for them, but a misdirect from everyone else. But some children don't do that. Some children think differently. Do things differently. And that's okay. One child, more considered a teenager, awoke from his slumber. The standard bed creaked slightly from his movement. Weariness caused his eyes to fight the urge to fall downward again—back to sanctuary—but they wouldn't like that. So, with calloused hands, he groped the edges of the bed and rose from his (still present) daze. The young man lived a sad tale. No parents. No siblings. Nothing. At the young age of three, he had lost his mother and father in a plane crash and was left in the care of an abusive aunt. Once he ran away from her, he got kidnapped, and escaped years later. In turn, he developed a disorder to cope with the pain.

Lincoln was also aware of his problem. He knew he had this uncontrollable need, a motive, to keep things straight and debris-free. It made him unsociable and strange. It also didn't help with his personality, too. He was cold, emotionless, monotonous, and on-point. Just like the icy glare in his ocean deep eyes. Yes, he was a target for teasing and bullying; did he ever stand up for himself? No. He never fought back. Never told them to stop calling him "_Mr. Clean_", or whatever crazed thing they did from time-to-time. Lincoln never told anyone either, so he just suffered by his lonesome. He knew what would happen if he did fight back; he'd hurt them. But, he didn't want that—it wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway when it happened—and continued to stay good. He had to stay good.

Sighing to himself, Lincoln walked into the separate —hospital-like—bathroom, taking careful steps, and stopped at the sink. He was met the image of disgust. He often thought people didn't like the way he looked. He wouldn't blame them, though. The glare never left his eyes; still searching the mirror for any cracks, specks or stains. Nothing. Good. He still kept his brows furrowed, checking if anything got on his face, but it was clean as it was yesterday. Lincoln went and used the bathroom (by now, you'd figure what that would be like) and started brushing his teeth; being gentle in some places and and rougher in others. Instead of two minutes, he always did three, always thinking that he missed a spot. Next he took his shower; he decided that today should be regular time since today was very important to him.

After completely drying himself off, Lincoln neatly and evenly folded his "dirty" clothes and tucked them into his hamper. He turned over to his bed and set out a new pair of clothes, from his dresser, for the day. And got dressed. Supposedly, he was getting adopted today. Or tomorrow. Lincoln did a ten minute recheck, to see if everything was still in place and clean, and decided that the room was acceptable and left. Being extra cautious when closing the thick wooden door.

The stone-faced man walked a steady rhythm through the hallway. And then he began to wonder. Asking similar questions that people, who saw him as estranged, asked. What was happiness like? Could he actually feel it? Could he even smile? Lincoln didn't know. The only facial expressions he ever made were that of monotone or anger/disgust when he found something dirty. They always said the way he narrowed his brows and pursed his frown made it look like he was going to murder someone. Or that he was already a killer. Would his new family like him? Probably not. Usually, foster parents don't pay too much attention to mind whenever they're taking in teenagers. He was only sixteen, so what does he have to offer?

He stared in close contempt and attention for a moment.

There it was. The headaches. One of many things that continue to reside in his damaged mind. The doctors said he wasn't schizophrenic, but something else. It also explained his "body issues". Shaking his head (for a moment), Lincoln opened one of the doors at the end of the hall, and was met with the stares of all the other kids in the living room.

**•O—O—O•**

"Lincoln! It's so good to see you again."

"It's good seein' you too, Dr. Joanna."

Again. That voice. That deep, rough voice. It was so low and formal and mysterious. It was no wonder he intimidated people. Ignoring himself, Lincoln went to the cushioned chair that sat across from hers. Reaching his hand in his pocket, he took out an orange cleaning cloth and wiped the seat of the chair repeatedly. The process took a minute, but Dr. Joanna didn't mind; she was ready when he was. Finally taking a seat, Lincoln took the cloth and tucked it back into his pocket. The man in dark clothing then straightened himself; making sure that his legs were at the perfect angle—and that they were correct distance from each other—, Lincoln then squared his shoulders, crossing his arms atop his chest and exhaled. He was stone wall, an immovable statue of order and discipline. It was a distinct contrast to the colorful diversity of her office.

"Is there anythin' you wanted to talk about?"

"Well," The psychiatrist began, optimistically, "I just wanted to inform you that the agency in Royal Woods found a family that wanted to adopt you! I'm so happy for you!"

Though Lincoln was happy himself (at least he thought he was), he only nodded his head, still expressionless, gathering the information.

"Do they... know about me?"

She gave a playful smirk. "I wanted to keep it a surprise."

Lincoln remained unfazed (on the outside), although he furrowed his already furrowed brows even more. His decrepit mind was racking in fear of what might happen. But he had to stay strong.

"Lincoln, I know you're concerned. But don't worry about it; you and I will get to meet them personally, and-"

"Do they know what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you, Lincoln." She countered with sadness etching her tone. Joanna didn't blame him for being too cautious, though. Only few in the world are able to understand and comprehend the rare mental condition that her patient had. She noticed him looking down at the floor. Most would assume that he was checking for crumbs, but she could tell that he was ashamed and frightened; no matter how solemn his face was. He was growing into a fine young man, and yet, he was ostracized for it.

"Tell you what," She smuggled his attention, "I'll tell you about them myself, so that you can prepare yourself. I know how much you like doing that."

Lincoln nodded once more. He also noticed the sad smile she had on her face, which also upset him. He didn't want to hurt anyone. Not again.

"They're a big family," Joanna started. "And it's made up of mostly women." Lincoln then looked up at her. Arms still folded in stiff position, lips still pursed to a nonchalant frown, but a raised eyebrow adorned his expression; curiosity twinkling in his eye. Women had always a... negative... effect on him. Why in the world would they put him in a house filled with them?

"I know, it sounds bad, but think of it like this, Lincoln. I wanted you to finally stand up to your fears; to overcome them and be better. You've had terrible experiences with women in your childhood, yes, but I think it's healthy to confront problems instead of shying away from them. Wouldn't you agree?"

He nodded.

"And... at the same time, we need to consider limitation. Just because you conquered your enemy doesn't mean you can take over the world, but you knew that." She gave a short laugh before regaining seriousness. "I also took the precautions of telling the family who are adopting you, the certain characteristics that you have."

"So you told 'em about my BMS?"

The psychiatrist nodded.

**•O—O—O•**

Lynn Sr. beamed a smile on his normally happy face. He and Rita fondly remember the office that Dr. Joanna had; she herself was an elderly woman with hazel eyes. Her curled hair auburn white, glistening to the last detail. Her clothes spoke just like her office too, colorful, vibrant and compassionate. A large bookshelf. Multiple tables with flowers and animal sculptures. And paintings flooded the wall. Heck, both he and Rita would kill to have a house like that.

Currently, the homely man just finished setting up the room for his new son. Admittedly, both he and his wife were scared. They had spent over twenty years raising girls—they had tried for a boy several times, but after Lily, they had given up (he got a vasectomy, too)—so, raising a boy was foreign to them. Lynn Sr. loved his daughters, he really did, but the thought of having a son was too great for him. Rita also wanted a son as well. Someone she could watch play baseball (other than Lynn Jr.). Someone to bond with on a different level; she had grown tired of going to the mall and hoped to get caught in some of the boys' interests. Maybe Lynn Jr. and Lana will finally have someone to play sports with; or maybe he's one of those snobby know-it-all kids. Rita didn't know.

At the same time, the mother of ten was in the living room, preparing for later today. With the help of her husband, Leni, Lynn Jr., Lana and Lisa; they managed to transform their linen closet to a functioning bedroom. Yes, it was a little small—but from past experiences, Rita knew that teenagers needed their space. All her kids aged nicely over the past few years; Lori was twenty-two and easily mimicked her figure when Rita herself was near that age. Leni, at twenty-one, managed to get a job at _Gabby's Gorgeous Salon_ and was holding up the position pretty well. Luna had become a Royal Woods sensation at twenty; the band she was in, The Loud Rockers, was popular amongst the town. Luan was still doing her Funny Business, but as soon as she turned nineteen—she became a YouTuber and has over two million subscribers! Lynn Jr., being a legal adult, nearly spent her whole days at the gym; always trying to improve her already impressive physique. It took a while, but the family convinced her to tone it down.

Lucy had taken the mantle of being more open when became thirteen. Still, the goth kept the same morose and bleak around her person at all times. Lana had improved greatly over the years; at twelve, she started cleaning herself more, but still held a passion for her interests. Lola still stayed the same unsurprisingly, but matured nonetheless. Lisa also showed no signs of change when she turned ten (the only thing that did increase was her intelligence). Lily, at seven, was a real showstopper! Her passion was painting, and, the occasional quip if photography. Yes, Lynn Sr. and Rita believed that their children were going to be very successful in the future; and they had no doubt that their new son was going to do the same. Still, like any other person, they had their doubts—they had spoke to their daughters about the adoption, and... the results varied. Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn Jr., Lana and Lily were happy. Lori, Lucy and Lisa seemed indifferent towards it; and Lola was the only one who seemed appalled by the information.

'We don't need another Lana!' she said; and after session of apologies and calming down, the horde of women came to a mutual agreement. Snapping out of her thoughts, Rita heard her eldest daughter walk down the stairs. Lori wore a light blue T-shirt saying "I need some Vitamin Sea" and ruffled white sweatpants, as well as faded pink slippers. Phone in hand, she was looking for any apartments that were available. Lori was acing through college, so, she thought that both she and her Bobby should look for places to live. She went over and sat on the couch.

"Hey mom." She started, Turing off her phone (and putting it in her pocket) and now facing her parent.

"Hi sweetie," Rita wanted to continue, but stopped.

"Something wrong?"

The mother looked at Lori straight in the eye. "It's just... I'm a little worried about the boy that your father and I are adopting."

"Don't worry mom, I'll make sure that the girls are on their best behavior." The adult flashed a sense of confidence to her mother.

"It's not you girls I'm worried about;" She assured the younger woman. "I'm more concerned about what your new brother's gonna think of us. What if we're too much for him?"

"Trust me mom, there's nothing to worry about. Don't sweat it. He's literally going to love us!"

**•O—O—O•**

Lincoln was nervous. Very, very nervous. After his talk with Dr. Joanna, he found that his adopted parents had ten daughters (yeesh) and each one being a different age and talent. Great. Just great. Not only will he surrounded by women, he's going to be beneath them. Shaking his head, and avoiding those thoughts (that didn't belong to him) the teenager continued to pack his things. Taking extra precautions to neatly fold and place everything down in order. This was it. This was his chance to become something better. Something more. He just hoped it wouldn't spiral into anything chaotic. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what Lincoln Antonio Loudd feared the most.

No one had even said goodbye to him.

**•O—O—O•**

**LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD!**

**You'll eat what I tell you to eat, you UNGRATEFUL little shit! Don't make me come in that kitchen and POKE OUT YOUR EYES!**

The teen awoke with shock in his eyes. Steadying his now uneven breathing, Lincoln calmed himself. He must've fell asleep. Not only was that embarrassing enough, they let him dream about that sick excuse of an aunt. Probably to wake him up... Avoiding all that, he stood from his seat, electing a set of curious stares from the waiting room. Now feeling more embarrassed, the teenager left the room hastily; suitcase held tightly in his right hand. Lincoln went through the front door and was drowned from the outside world. He took a deep breath (in the through the nose, out through the mouth) and walked down the concrete stairs with a acceptable rhythm. After strolling around the small parking lot, he found Joanna's car. The elder woman waved at him.

Lincoln walked to the car.

It was now or never.

**•O—O—O•**

Lisa had never expected her parental units to stoop to adoption, especially for obtaining a son. Now, the prodigy wasn't against adoption, per se, but if her parental units craved a child of the opposite gender, then she could create one for them. No hassle, unlike the painstakingly long wait from adoption. The young scientist, along with the rest of her family, sat in the living room. Waiting. Her father, wearing an evergreen sweater with a red shirt underneath; the sleeves were rolled up to the forearm; and navy blue jeans with brown colored dress shoes. Her mother was wearing a light fuchsia flannel (the sleeves reaching down to her braclet covered wrists) and a deep gold necklace with a pendant at the end. Her pants were a deep chocolate brown; a distinctive difference between her caramel colored dress slippers.

Her eldest sibling, adorning a light blue striped tank top with white cargo shorts leading down to the tops of her knees, ending with brown sandals with gold rims. Lori also held an adornment of jewelry; bracelets, earrings, etc. Next, Leni had worn a flowing, flowery, sea foam green sun dress with an equally spectacular sun hat. Her sunglasses sat atop the hat while her jewelry mimicked her sisters'. White and pink flip flops beneath her souls.

Luna had chosen a spiked choker, a dark purple wife beater T-shirt (with fishnet sleeves); more "punk-like" jewelry—piercings, chains, and others. The rocker also had jet black leather jeans, chains and rips making them look more "radical!" Familiar boots blanketing her shoes. Her roommate fared better. Luan wore a white, old fashion dress shirt with a thin mustard colored jacket. Her skirt was more patterned than plaid—still retaining that lovable yellow. A pink flower was on the top right of her dress shirt; as well as an absence of braces and jewelry.

On the other hand, Lynn was wearing what she always wore: blood red sports hoodie and inferna red sweatpants with white (dirty) gyms shoes. The goth of the family wore the same attire as well. A black, frilly dress with white collars; black doll dress shoes with golden locks and white headband—though her eyes still stayed hidden.

Lana now wore a red T-shirt and still had her overalls on top; her new hat was a red and blue baseball cap. Her shoes were simply white sneakers with red side-stripes. Lola had switched her clothing to a pink dress shirt and white skirt. A pink bow rested on her sea of blonde hair while her fancy dress shoes snow white. She also had jewelry on.

Lily wore a flowing sundress like her older sister, except it was a faded violet. The six year old adorned white slippers too. Lisa herself was wearing a oak green sweater with brown jeans. Her shoes consisted of a deeper brown sneakers while a impressive lab coat covered her body. The glasses were bigger too. They had waited until their new addition would arrive. Each sibling had their own set of standards as well; Lori: _Responsibility_. Leni: _Kind, and good with clothes_. Luna: _A chill, reliable guy_. Luan: _Someone who knows how to have a good laugh_. Lynn: _A guy who can do spo__rts_. Lucy: _Averageness_. _Not too happy, but not too sad_. Lana: _A big bro_. Lola: _Someone with class_. Lisa: _Intelligence_. Lily: _Same as Lana_. That was good. Everyone had standards.

But, if there was one thing the the whole family wanted; it would be a loving, caring brother. The prodigy along with the rest of her siblings held few information on the male specimen; all they did know is that his name was Lincoln, he was sixteen and lived a tragic childhood. When they had heard his name, it broke to an adorable series of questions from the youngest.

"_Is he our long-lost cousin or something?_" Lily would say. The family told her no, that didn't have any affiliation with Lincoln (not counting the adoption) and she got confused. "_But he has the same last name as us...?_" It wasn't until Lisa had—clearly—explained to the child that their surnames were spelled differently ('Loudd' instead of 'Loud') and people have the same names, but aren't related throughout the world. The toddler managed to understand and happily waited for him as did the rest of the family. Her family continued to wait; her parents sitting on the recliner chairs, the OSG (Older Sister Group) hogged the couch while the twins sat on the floor.

Lily was nestled in Leni's lap, Lola sat cross-legged while Lana layed on her stomach, aimlessly kicking her legs back and forth out of boredom. The scientist and the goth stood. An abrupt ringing cut the silence short; Lori looked up from her phone, Rita, Lynn Sr. and Lynn Jr. shot their heads up instantly and Lana stopped looking at the floor. After a brief chuckle of embarrassment, the patriarch rose from his chair to reach for the home-phone.

"Hello, Loud Residence; Lynn Loud Sr. speaking."

_"Hi Lynn, it's Joanna. Are you or your family busy?"_

"Joanna! Uh, no; my family and I are at home. Why do you ask?"

A soft laugh came from the older woman's voice. _"Come outside and look."_

And then she hung up. Now confused, the father put the home-phone back in its place and gestured to his family to follow him. They followed, without much reason not to; soon the front door opened, and out stepped the whole family. Some stayed near the door, others chose to rest at the stairwell of the porch while few actually stood at the yard. All they say was maroon Honda car with two people in the front seat at the side of the road.

The driver stepped out of the car, revealing herself to be Dr. Joanna; wearing a peach colored trench jacket that went down to her knees. An even lighter shade of said color was wrapped around her neck in the shape of a scarf. Her maroon dress shoes tapped against the concrete surface, luring herself to the family. She was beaming with positivity (if her smile didn't prove that enough) and the woman walked over to the Louds. Dr. Joanna went to hug the parents and introduce herself to all the children.

"Who are you exactly?"

A question they all wanted to ask; and some of them did. While some stayed politely quiet.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Joanna; your parents told me so much about you all. As for who I am, I'm Lincoln's psychologist. It's amazing to meet you all."

Though they were confused, they didn't question it.

Joanna turned to the eldest. "You must be Lori; it's a pleasure meeting you. I can tell you're the one who knows how to keeps things in check."

Said woman blushed lightly from the compliment, "Yeah. I'll make sure my sisters don't pile the new guy; but overall, I'm literally sure he's going to love it here." The doctor nodded in acknowledgment.

Then, she walked over to Leni; "Hello Leni. It's so good to see you and perspicacious knowledge on fashion. Your new brother has an eye for clothing as well, you know.

"Oh My Gosh! I'm totally excited to meet him! C'mon, let us see him! Please, please, _please_?"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Leni, but I still have to introduce myself to your _other_ siblings."

Leni nodded her head in acceptance while Dr. Joanna swiveled to Luna. Face to face. "Luna, it's so great to meet you. I've heard all good things from your parents."

The rocker fist-bumped the doctor. "Cool beans, babe. I hope my new little bro's gonna be the musical type."

"Sadly, Lincoln isn't interested into music like he he used to be. It hope that's alright."

"Don't sweat it, man."

After earning that response, Joanna talked to Luan, who was conveniently next to her roommate. There were laughs, lots and lots of laughs. Then she moved over to Lynn Jr.

"So, Lynn, I hear your into sports."

"Yep. Does the new guy play?"

"He doesn't play sports, but he does work out."

Lynn fist-bumped the air, yelling an "Awesome" from her mouth. Then the psychologist moved over to the squabbling twins.

"Tell me he likes mud!"

"No way he would, he's obviously interested in service-work!"

"Guys love animals!"

"He could be allergic!"

"But I wanted a new play pal!"

"Well, keep waiting sister, because he's going to be my prince!"

"Nuh-Uh!"

"Uh-Huh!"

Joanna decided to step in. "Girls, girls; your new brother is a well balanced man. I'm positive that he'll have time for the both of you!"

The two looked at each other and shrugged shoulders. Joanna supposed that they agreed. After that debacle, the doctor conversed with another. Both she and Lisa shared many intelligible discussions—mainly concerning the new guys' health (both physical and mental). After the high class talk, she went to Lily.

"Hi Lily."

The little girl waved. "Hello Miss Joanna. My parents told _all_ me about you." Joanna managed to giggle from that response. Such an adorable six year old.

She then waltzed to the parents.

Lucy knew it was an accident. That Joanna forgot her. It didn't matter any way; though her face didn't show it, she was anxious to meet her new brother. A pretty eventful week since the twins' birthday a couple days ago. But that's life.

"Hello Rita, Lynn. Your children are lovely. I really feel like Lincoln is going to change here. Again, thank you for taking him in. He really _needed_ it."

"It's no issue at all," Rita began.

"Yeah. The big guy will have lots in store for his new sisters. And we promise not to make him overwhelmed. Believe me, we got this under control."

"That's all I needed to hear."

The psychologist then called out for her patient a couple times. Then, the group heard a trunk door slam shut—the group hadn't even realized that the boy even left. What they saw was strange. The fist thing that they noticed was that he was very tall. And well-built. A little bit unnerving. Lincoln siltently slithered his way out of the car; making sure that he was extra careful with shutting the door so he wouldn't interrupt the conversation. That's what he did best. It wasn't until Joanna called for him, his invisible mask fell. After he shut the trunk door, silence overcame the group of fourteen. He stared at them with small shock.

They did the same.

Joanna waited for the next move.

**•O—O—O•**

**To make a blatant statement; I'M BACK BABY! Oh, I'm so sorry for scaring you all back then—now I just wanna run up, hug you and and kiss you and tell everything's gonna be alright! Unfortunately I can/can't do that. The point is... my personal problems are solved and summer is rolling in. I know you know what that means; more updates, and more stories! I love you all with all my heart! Cheers!**


	2. Something Wrong

**Hello again. It's always good seeing you again. This time, things will start progressing differently throughout my "career" as well as more things. I want to consider multiplaying this, but I believe that _that_ path will would lead into a splitting case of headaches and expectancy for me. In that case, "_Letting Go_" will be updated at irregular times, because of the other stories I have. But, this story, essentially, will be extravagant to all. I really hope you accept the direction I take it. Also, feel free to suggest any ideas for future chapters; maybe one will intrigue me enough to make a change. I know you'll be able to come up with great ideas; how did you think this all started? Other than that, please, I ask that you sit and Enjoy!**

**Nuuo: The "double un-tundra" joke from earlier was a preference to the very questionable weather me and my relatives been experiencing lately. I apologize for not getting that cleared earlier.**

**•O—O—O•**

Chapter 2: Something Wrong

There the crowd all stood. Silent. It was then that Lincoln quickly analyzed the large house with pristine precision. Uncut, tattered yard. Toys scattered everywhere. Worn and aging structure. Only one word coursed through his continued, calculating mind: _Nope_. Definitely not. It was dirty. The Loud family was a little unsettled by his cold stare toward their home; the image of his furrowed brows never exited their now timid thoughts. And then they saw him shake his head slightly, demonstrating dissatisfaction. Running a hand over his shaven hair, they saw him mutter "No...no, no, no."

They were, again, unsettled. They watched him turn his back and walk to the car in utter and complete silence. Uh, what? What was he doing? _What was wrong?_ They saw Joanna walk to him; only to engage a small conversation with the disturbed child. The family only stood there. Confused.

Joanna worried. "Lincoln, what's wrong?"

He scowled. "This house is unacceptable. Unclean. Dirty."

She sighed. "I know, I know; but _please_ give them a chance." The psychologist thought for a moment, "Maybe they'll give you a chance to clean it." She persuaded passively.

Lincoln gave her a quizzical look.

"Think about it," She began, "you could clean this _whole_ house and they would love you for it. I'm sure they'd be very appreciative of it."

Lincoln thought over this new perspective. Yes, cleaning would mostly get them to like him. To _want_ him. Lincoln sighed, closing his eyes then reopening them. "One chance." He agreed.

She smiled brightly."Excellent."

**•O—O—O•**

The inside looked the same. Unkept and unorganized. Lincoln didn't like it. But, he had to power through—if acting normal was gonna get him in this house, then he was gonna be normal goddamnit. He had to work through this. He saw everything: the uneven rooms, the small, disgusting bathroom, the somewhat okay kitchen and the messy living room. It was unpleasant, yes, but his reward was worth it. Completely worth it.

It wasn't until the tour was over, that Lincoln himself began to worry. Now that Dr. Joanna left, what would his family do? Would they be just like his aunt? He hoped not. Though Lincoln kept a straight face, the young man was silently thinking about what will happen next. He always did. _Always staying prepared_. As the breeze of this July morning settled, Lynn Sr. closed the door softly. The secrecy of the northern wind was held for another day.

The family was met face to face with the stone cold boy.

Lynn Sr opted to start. "So...,"

Rita glanced at him with worry. Her husband was trying so hard to be a welcoming host; she had to help him.

"Lincoln." Everyone jittered from her sudden entry. "Why don't we take your things to your room? So you could get comfortable, of course."

Eyes widened behind a pair of glasses. Shit. He forgot his luggage at the porch; how could he be so stupid? They must think he's an idiot—some clutz who can't tell what from when.

**YOU BETTER CLEAN THIS HOUSE BEFORE I GET HOME LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD!**

Blinking back a familiar, salty liquid, Lincoln shifted past the crowd with untimely speed. The family stood shocked from the sudden movement; and suddenly saw him pace with all his belongings. The compulsive behavior caught them off guard as Lincoln powered through holding his many things without breaking a sweat. The young man paced to the stairs quickly, set the luggage by his doorstep and walked back to the now bespectacled family.

"I apologize for leaving them out there." He stammered. "Please... don't get mad."

The parents' eyes nearly watered. The girls were just as confused and unsettled as they were when they first met. But he was scared. Frightened that he was making them uncomfortable. They had to take action. They had to settle the tension.

Lynn Sr. clapped. "Well, now that that's settled, I say we get a pizza to celebrate!"

A plethora of cheers waved through the neighborhood as the Loud sisters jumped with glee. Lincoln raised an eyebrow while his ears begged to be covered. Instead, he clenched his teeth in sheer politeness; taking the pain. He never liked it when people yelled. But he had to power through—make them like him.

"I'll pay."

All eyes turned to the young man at once. Adoration from Lily and the twins, skepticism from Lisa, Lynn, Luan, and Leni; and confusion from Lynn Sr., Rita and Lori.

"You're literally serious?" asked the eldest.

In response, Lincoln took fifty dollars from his wallet.

"This should be enough for pizza, drinks, and any other snacks you want. Take it."

The parents gave him a questionable look.

He was starting to get nervous. "It's okay, really."

Slowly, Lynn Sr. took the money from Lincoln and gave it to his wife. Lincoln analyzed their movements; he could _sense_ their fear. Their fear of him. He knew it. He knew he was doing too much, they'll just treat him like a freak he'll just have to higher his walls again. No trust. No trust._ No trust_.

Lana suddenly bursted out. "Where did you get fifty bucks?"

Lincoln turned to look at at the ten year old with sternness. "I have a lot of spare time."

After briefing, it was settled. Lincoln would pay.

The Loud girls cheered once more.

**•O—O—O•**

Luna walked over to her room with boredom echoing her thoughts. The pizza wasn't gonna come until another twenty minutes, which translates—to some—to forever! But it wasn't all bad; the rocker called for a Sister Meeting in her room while everyone was getting ready for the day. So, to pass the time, Luna sat on her bed with her headphones in her hand and waited.

Before she could even start any music, the other nine girls barged into her room while Luna sighed in small annoyance. Lori was wearing square earrings, a baby blue sweatshirt and tanned cargo pants from 2019. And leather sandals. Painted nails dawned her as well as Leni, Luna, Lucy and Lola. Speaking of Leni, the fashionista tied her hair ponytail style while her iconic sunglasses topped her head. A seafoam green tank top covered her chest while matching the frilly white skirt covering her legs. Equally white sandals hugged her feet as well.

Luna herself was wearing a purple _Scissor Sisters_ T-Shirt with black and white rims. The ripped jeans were a _little_ tight, but she didn't mind. Large paperclip earrings were on each side of her head as well as many bracelets masking her wrists. No shoes though, just black socks. Luan was wearing a lovely necklace which sat above the thin yellow sweater she wore. The prankster also had black jeans on and decided to wear socks without shoes. They were polka-dots.

Lynn was wearing a new white sports jersey with red stripes. She also wore red sweatpants with white stripes. As well as white jogging shoes; she also had a ponytail. Lucy adopted a similar look to Leni; white dress shirt, black skirt, striped leggings and black dress shoes. The goth also had bracelets on her wrists. Lola, on the other hand, was a different story.

The former princess wore a hot pink dress that went all the way down to her ankles. White dress slippers dawned her feet while a light pink sash robed around her torso diagonally. Pristine jewelry covered her like ornaments on a Christmas tree; she had to look good, of course. Lana had a blue baseball cap over her pigtails, a red T-Shirt on top and blue jeans on the bottom. As well as red sneakers with white souls and rims.

Lisa wore an evergreen colored shirt with brown jeans with equally brown sneakers. A large, white lab coat caped over her shoulders as her glasses shined brightly as ever. And finally, the small toddler had on a violet colored shirt and a frilly white skirt with cute little socks on her feet.

They're meeting began.

"So...," began Luna. "Should we address the elephant in the room, or what?"

Leni's face mended to confusion. "What elephant?" The other siblings sighed as Lori explained it to her.

Luna forwarded. "What do you dudes think of Lincoln?"

Lori and Leni just looked at each other nervously. Luan, Lynn, Lana and Lola thought about it for a moment. Lucy and Lisa remained monotonous to the question, but silently thought as well. Lily had an immediate answer.

"I thinks he's scary."

The horde of women turned to the youngest with widened eyes. They soon comforted her with a message; not jumping to conclusions too early.

Lori started. "I think he's alright." Leni gave an agreeing nod.

"He really knows how to _pay_ for expectations! Hahahahah!" Groans were echoing the room. Cause: the infamous jokes that come from Luan.

Lynn continued. "He _does_ look pretty jacked, you think he works out? If he does, then count me in."

"His soul is stained with pain and suffering from a heart broken childhood. I say he should stay." No one questioned Lucy's words of wisdom.

"Well," Lola opted, "he does seem pretty clean. It'd be nice to have someone in the house who actually _is_." The crowd gave an unforgiving Lola the stank eye.

"_Ignoring_ _that_," said Lana. "I say he stays with us. I like him. Guys are fun to hang with!"

"Perhaps by exploring his records and predominantly inclined mindset; he'll make an excellent candidate to the family for further entertainment variations." They gave Lisa a quizzical look. Sigh. She facepalmed. "_It means _that his presence can benefit us!"

Oh.

**•O—O—O•**

Lincoln went to his room immediately after their meet, and Rita worried. She knew that he was new to all this, that he was broken on the inside, but still powered through. She should probably go check on him. Walking up the stairs and up to his room, the mother of now eleven noticed it was perfectly closed. No ajar messes that the girls would make.

She knocked.

After a few clattering from the other side, the door eventually opened. There she was met with Lincoln's blank stare.

"C-Could I come in?"

A pause; a thought. "Yeah..."

Rita stepped into the small room and was astonished. It was cleaner than they left it for him. The suitcases were neatly placed by the wardrobe, clothes symmetrically folded in the wardrobe. The bedsheets were actually straight. Nothing was crooked. No imperfections. Just the way he liked it.

But that didn't make Rita any less flabbergasted. How could he do all of that in such little time. Their meeting was only twenty minutes ago! What Rita didn't know, was that forced practice made Lincoln able to do such a task in under ten.

Before they could even talk, there was a ring.

The food was here.

**•O—O—O•**

"Alright, that'll be $44.79."

Rita handed the man the fifty dollars and told him to keep the change. Now that he had left, she called for her children to the living room. And they all gathered. Lincoln came downstairs with a pair of orange colored rubber gloves. He put the tools on, silently prayed, and took a slice. Keeping one hand below to prevent crumbs from scattering; which is probably a good time to get a paper towel. Placing the delectable food back on his plate, he brushed off _anything_ that might've gotten on him and rose from his seat.

He was about to leave momentarily, had not been for one factor. Lana, not knowing his intentions, saw this as a chance for sibling bonding.

"Hey Linc! Catch!"

The young man turned around and widened his eyes from the impact. She threw pizza at him.

**LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?! THERE ARE NO DIRTY CLOTHES IN THIS HOUSE, _LINCOLN_ _ANTONIO_ _LOUDD_!**

A faint scream was heard as Lincoln pictured his aunt charging after him with the hot-iron. He fidgeted. _The_ _headaches_ _were_ _coming_ _back_. He noticed everyone watching him. Judging him. Lincoln's breaths were replaced with heavy inhaled and exhales from the nose.

The family watched in sadness as he angrily stormed out of the room; his destination his own.

**•O—O—O•**

As Lincoln folded his dirty dress shirt and placed it inside his hamper, he figured taking a shower would make him more comfortable. Avoiding glances at the dirty bathroom—he'd clean it later—the young man set aside his clothes and stepped into the shower. The hot water stinged at first, but he eased to it. He figured he'd be nice to his new family and let this be a regular shower. After he was done, he changed and went back to his room.

He opened the window to and layed on his bed.

The wind's secrets kept him company.

**•O—O—O•**

**Thank you so much for reaching this far. Before you ask, I am actually doing a pattern with this story (word wise). I just got back from the dentist and it was absolute murder trying to adjust to my new retainers. No I can barely say a word because of them. But that won't stop me making more updates and stories. I understand a lot of people want this story to progress, but, again, I'll see what I can do. It's not everyday that can write something with issues. This is actually the second time I wrote this—the first wasn't good enough for a follow-up. I think "_Heroism_" or "_Central Intelligence_" will be updated next. Who knows? "_The_ _Suggestion_ _House_" has a promising idea, all I ask is for your opinion. Well, stay cool and stay tuned, everyone. Ciao.**


	3. Getting To Know You

**Hello everyone. I'm back, and, I'm gonna start something different (and actually do it). I'm gonna focus more on this story—more than I should have anyway—and try to equip myself with the feeling of completion. I'm going to put "_Central Intelligence_", "_Living a Loud Life_" and "_Louds Divorc_e" on hold. They're not as 'important' as this one. As for "_Herosim_", I'm deleting it. A lot of its elements will be used in the possible sequel of "_Letting __Go_"; so, that's a no-go. Essentially, "_Letting __Go_" will be apart of a trilogy—the prequel coming out possibly next month. Other than that, here are responses from the mailbox (review section):**

**Critic: Thank you for the feedback; I really appreciate it. And I agree, this will be a more different story than any run-of-the-mill AU of Lincoln being adopted.**

**Guest: Not even close, my friend.**

**SpartanXHunterX:**** First of all, I would like to say that I am extremely honored that you reviewed this story. I'm a huge fan of your work. Just reading what you wrote made me giddy with confidence. Also, thank you for calling this "more than unique", that made my day. And, from reading your little analysis; I can say that you are the only one that figured out the story so far. Thank you.**

**nightmaster000: I like your contextualization of this chapter. Yes, Lincoln's has it rough (and his biological aunt does sound like a B Witch), but remember; he can't control himself. He isn't able to. I also hope that this new beginning will be for the better. Just wait and see.**

**Enjoy.**

**•O—O—O•**

Chapter 3: Getting To Know You

Lucy Loud wanted to know her brother. It had been a full night since the pizza incident, and the thirteen year old goth had felt bad for both Lincoln and Lana. All the little wrench monkey wanted was to bond with him, but he was being difficult. And Lucy wouldn't blame him for that either; he was overwhelmed and clearly had a cleanliness problem. It didn't matter anyway. All she knew, was that she personally would try to comfort him. She knew what is was like. She knew what it _felt_ like—to be scared and hopeless when you need hope. She even did things to herself to cope as well.

Avoiding that, Lucy jumped out of the black bed and stretched. Unwinding her joints and limbs, satisfaction swam over Lucy's body. Looking to her right, the white and red bed that Lynn inhabited was now empty. Strange. Usually Lucy woke up first. Ignoring her confusion, the goth faced the calendar: March 19, 2021. Thank God it was Saturday. Giving in one final yawn, the young beauty stepped out her room.

In the hallway, Lucy saw Lori, Lola, Lynn, Leni, Luan, Luna and Lily lay half asleep on the floor. Hilarious; one of the perks of being fully awake is always getting the bathroom first. Stumbling across the many resting bodies on the floor, Lucy wondered where Lana and Lisa were—probably still asleep in their respective rooms. Finally reaching the bathroom door, she turned her head, faced Lincoln's door and back.

Lucy then opened the bathroom door and was met with Lincoln. Who was on his knees.

Lincoln stared up, finding a shocked Lucy looking down on him. She was wearing an oversized white T-shirt (that had bed lint on it) and striped, monochrome pajama pants. He himself wore a thin black T-Shirt and gray sweatpants. The hem of his shirt was tucked into the rims of his pants rather neatly, and his glasses were pushed to the edges of his nose-bridge. Lucy noticed that his hair was white, but it was cropped to the point where she could faintly see his scalp. Interesting.

His head met nearly where her crotch was and he shivered. Those thoughts just wouldn't let go of him—so long as _they_ had control. He quickly stood, forgetting what he was doing prior to Lucy's entrance. He dwarfed her in height, and Lincoln noticed that she was gripping the hem of her shirt. Great, just great; he was scaring her.

Lucy stammered. "Uh..., Hi."

His blue orbs pierced the gaze of her covered ones. "Hello."

"What, uh, what were you doing?"

"I dropped somethin'." She bought the lie.

"Okay..."

"Did you need anythin'?" He questioned.

"I-I was just wondering if I could use the bathroom. I can wait if that's okay..."

"No!" He mentally cursed himself for the outburst. "I mean, I wanted to apologize for last night."

Lucy's nervousness faded. "Oh, don't worry, stuff like that always happens. You're fine, believe me."

Lincoln exhaled in contempt. Good. He still had one thing to discuss, though.

"You, uh, have some lint on your shoulder. Remove it please."

Lucy stared at her left shoulder, and brushed off the lint. "Better?"

He sighed in relief. "Much."

Lucy watched her new brother fumble with himself, and then reluctantly leave. Wow. The goth had absolutely no idea why she had acted so timid. Probably first day jitters. She could feel his nervousness, and worry—that was sad. Did she always freak people out? Most likely. Why else would he act so strangely with her?

Snapping out of her thoughts, Lucy turned her focus on the bathroom.

Wait...

She smelled bleach.

Did he clean the bathroom?

**•O—O—O•**

Lincoln then turned to leave the room. He carefully took his steps—for obvious reasons—and, as soon as he heard the door close, he sighed. What was _that_? He made himself look like a complete idiot in front of his new sister. She probably thought he was a creep. A weirdo.

Drawing himself back to the present, the young man noticed the several women doused on the floor, snoring peacefully. He sighed. Rushing to his room, Lincoln grabbed a pair of orange cleaning gloves and a hospital mask. Moving back, he found that he and Lucy were now at opposite sides of the hallway.

They waited. It wasn't until Lucy started the conversation.

"Thank you for cleaning the bathroom."

He paused. "It wasn't an issue..."

"What's with the doctor's equipment?"

"Your sisters are in the floor. And, I figured I'd carry them to their rooms... Sorry."

She paced toward him; and stopped right in front of him. Lucy gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Don't apologize." She began. "And hey, I can help you."

Lincoln took her offer to consideration.

The goth moved closer to him, and gave the orderly man a playful punch on the arm. "Besides, they're _our_ sisters." She ended off with a small smile.

Lincoln tensed. Shoulders squared and jaw clamped hard as iron. She touched him. She... _touched_ him. _She_. _Touched_. _Him_. But... it wasn't the way that monster would touch him. It was friendly touching. Was... was _this_ friendship? Were they friends now? Choosing to ignore the static in his mind, Lincoln pulled the gloves over his hands and placed the mask over his mouth in a practiced manner.

Lucy has chosen to take Lily, Lola, and Lynn. That left Lincoln with Leni, Luan, Luna, and Lori. Great. After the goth came out her and Lynn's room, her eyes widened seeing lifting Lori as if she were light as a pack of feathers. Carrying the eldest bridal style, Lincoln paces to Lori and Leni's room—avoiding the stare of awe from Lucy. He did the exact same thing with the other sisters.

The goth girl could only gaze as her new brother carried their older siblings like they weighed nothing. Was he _that_ strong? Surely not. Lynn would kill for that type of strength... and here Lincoln was. Though, Lucy decided not to prod any further. She already felt like she was bothering him.

"How do you like your eggs?"

Returning to reality, Lucy tried to remember what he asked. She let out a 'Hmm?' in response.

"I figured... that... since your-I mean, _our_ sisters will be wakin' up soon; I'd make breakfast. So... how do you like your eggs?"

"Salty and burned."

Nodding, Lincoln took off the hospital mask—placing it in his pocket—and went downstairs, obviously toward the kitchen. Hearing muffled yawns, Lucy turned to see a multitude of doors opening. All her sisters, looking a bit tired, stepped out. Everyone was wearing their standard sleep clothing.

Lori was wearing a egg colored tank top and sky blue short-shorts with white side stripes. Leni was wearing a shamrock green nightgown with white frills; an eye mask strapped on the top her head. Luna was wearing a royal purple, loose T-shirt and pitch black undergarments. As well as white, knee high socks.

Luan had a tangent yellow button down PJ suit. The thin brown and black plaid make it distinct. Lynn had lazy red sleep shorts and a large white T-shirt with red rims. Lana just wore a massive gray T-shirt that went below her knees (don't worry, she's wearing pants) while a red cap lazily crowned her head.

Lola wore a faded pink nightgown with no frills. She also had a pair of eye masks, which sat under her hair. Lisa wore an evergreen button down sleepwear with peach green rims. Lily adorned a lavender T-shirt with white sleep pants. All sisters muttered their daily "good mornings".

Lucy cleared her throat. "If you guys need me, I'll be downstairs."

Digesting the information, all nine girls started the bathroom line while the goth trekked downstairs. Reaching the bottom, Lucy noticed Lincoln standing completely still at the entrance of the kitchen. Arms crossed in a firm fashion, shoulders tensed to perfection, while his face stay stone cold.

The goth would admit, it was a little frightening having him just masquerade as a statue, but she'll live with it. Her parents were no where to be found, so she assumed that they left for work—a little annoying that March was the one month that they had to work weekends. Checking the nearby clock, it read 10:08 am; Jesus! Only a couple hours until they would have lunch.

Minutes passed as Loud sister after Loud sister made their way downstairs, ignoring their frozen brother. Finally taking notice of him, all eleven siblings stared each other off. A certain ten becoming very unsettled.

Lincoln remained orderly. "What would you all like for breakfast?"

They all looked at each other.

Lori started. "Umm... I'll have some scrambled eggs, sausage and some tomato slices."

"I would, like, love an egg and cheese omelette with parsley. Pancakes too!" Said Leni.

"Could I get a omelette with hash browns, with some bacon? Thanks dude." Luna decided.

"I know I'd _love_ some sunnyside eggs with cucumber slices. Oh, and some bacon too. _Prank_ you very much!" Said Luan, before going into a small fit of laughter.

"Gimme a stack of pancakes and sausage. Also, buttered scrambled eggs with apple slices." Lynn thought over.

"I'll have scrambled eggs too. And, waffles with crispy bacon and sausage. Thank you." Lucy politely demanded.

"Hmm..., Ill have what Lynn's having—but replace the apple slices with banana slices. Oh! And extra sausage!" Lana excitingly added.

Lola chose a more calm approach. "I'll take a fruit salad."

"I liken to taking a sandwich of Arachis hypogaea with Vitellaria paradoxa mixed with Fragaria x ananassa paste. Subtract the corners, of course." Said Lisa.

Everyone gave her a quizzical look.

The prodigy sighed. "A peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich without crust."

Oh.

Lily opted. "I want cereal."

"Any drinks?" He questioned.

Lori, Luna, Lana and Lisa requested milk; Lynn, Lola, Leni, Lucy and Luan requested something fruit related, and Lily wanted nothing—since a drink came with her meal. As Lincoln nodded, digested the information, he came to a sudden stop. His entire body was on edge; tensed to the point where it hurt.

All the sisters immediately caught his change in behavior and worried. What was wrong? They noticed that he suddenly stared at the floor and changed his posture to a militant pose. His body was shivering, and he tried really hard not to make it noticeable. Trying to act as comfortable as possible. But the facade didn't effect them.

Luna gave a sad look. "Bro, what's wrong?"

"You... y-you're... not wearin' p-pants."

The rocker's eyes immediately widened and instinctively pulled the hem her shirt over her pelvic area. "Shit! Man, I'm sorry. I-I'll go get changed!"

Nodding his head, Lincoln still kept his focus on the floor. The dirty floor. Turning away from said focus, he quickly turned back to the kitchen. The sisters, now absent of Luna, reluctantly followed.

"What a weirdo..." Lola muttered.

**•O—O—O•**

All the siblings were in the kitchen. Well, Lincoln was cooking and they all sat at the massive dining table. Luna was back, wearing gray sweatpants, while Lincoln chose to tolerate the unintended kitchen. Soon after, everyone had glass cups placed in front of their seats, filled with the respective drink they had requested earlier.

And later on, Lincoln had finished cooking the more difficult dishes and served them to his sisters. They all got what they wanted. He just had to make Lily's cereal and Lisa's sandwich. Minutes passed, and the Loud sisters all watched Lincoln _carefully_ make the PB n' J sandwich. He stood in front of them while doing it.

Each siblings greatly savored the small meal.

Lori has to admit, this was pretty good food. Probably the greatest breakfast she had. Leni agreed. So did Luna. And Luan. And Lynn. And Lucy. And. Lana. And Lola. And now Lily. Lisa patiently waited for her meal. The little scientist watched as Lincoln cut an even, near symmetrical amount of crust off the toasted bread.

The orderly man then attempted to cut his creation in half. Placing a hand over the knife, he cautiously split the food down to its end. Lincoln looked at the sandwich. The cut was uneven. His eyes widened behind his glasses; his gloved hand gripped hard on the knife, taking full notice of his error.

The sisters paid no attention to mind.

Closing his eyes, his head gestured up toward the ceiling, Lincoln took a long inhale through his nose—now catching their attention. The young man then banged the knife against the dining table in a fit of silent rage. All the siblings jumped. Now looking at their dissatisfied brother, each girl silently feared the outcome.

Lincoln turned to face them with full attention. They were all staring at him; he needed to explain himself.

"It's crooked. I... Forgive me."

He took the imperfection and tossed it into the trash. Grabbing another pair of bread, and placing them into the toaster, he decided to make another one. The sisters still kept their eyes on him. As soon as he grabbed a chair, Lincoln took out the orange cleaning rag and wiped the seat multiple times.

Now folding the cloth, he placed it back inside his pocket, tucked up his pants, and took a seat. Arms crossed and a stern expression adopting his face. All sisters refused to eat, letting their eyes draw towards him. What was wrong? Was the food bad? He had to know.

"Is somethin' wrong with the food?"

Before any of them answered, Lola stepped in. "No, the food is great. It's just... why did you do _that_?"

"It was cut unevenly." He simply stated.

"So? You can _still_ eat it."

His brows knitted together. "I wouldn't."

The princess rolled her eyes. "Of course you wouldn't."

Lori then cleared her throat rather loudy, averting the attention from Lola to her. Everyone's eyes were on the eldest. "Don't listen to her Lincoln. We think the food is delicious, right girls?"

A series of agreements ran across the room.

_Ping!_

The toast was done. Lincoln pulled the peanut butter and jam jars to him and remade the sandwich. Correctly this time. Neatly passing the plate to Lisa, she thanked him, and chowed down on the delectable treat. Lincoln continued to watch everyone eat, ignoring himself of course, in utter silence.

Then he saw something horrific. Everyone was done with their meal, yes, but did they have to leave such a disgusting mess behind. Milk and juice stained their lips, crumbs scattered across their clothing, and utensils placed unevenly by their plates. Just disgraceful.

_Oh for the love of..._ He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. "Change your clothes." He muttered.

"Huh?" Said Luan.

"Change your clothes. _Now_." He restated in a more firm voice. "I'll take care of the dishes and laundry; you all take showers."

"Who died and made you king?" Lynn questioned rather rudely. She clearly didn't like being bossed around.

"All of you are dirty. Just... just do it. Clean yourselves."

"What if we don't want to?" Lynn questioned again.

Before the now miffed man could answer to her, Lori stepped in again. "Lincoln's literally right. C'mon guys, lets clean up."

As each sister went upstairs, presumably to take showers, Lynn was met with Lincoln's ice cold glare.

She shuddered.

**•O—O—O•**

"Who does that guy think he is?!"

Lynn was seen pacing around Lori and Leni's room. Her sisters were with her. All of them have taken showers and were now dressed in their respective clothing.

Lori wore a navy blue shirt with beige jeans, white flip flops masking her feet. Phone in hand, the eldest was seen texting her friends about a party she might open up tomorrow. Leni had on a leaf green sundress with pink flip flops instead, her iconic sunglasses resting on the top of her head.

Luna was wearing a tattered, deep lavender _Black Flag_ T-shirt and midnight skinny jeans. An assortment of jewelry on her person (bracelets and earrings). Luan had on a yellow and white stripped shirt with chocolate brown leggings. Her flowing skirt was a egg colored white while she wore equally white shoes.

Lynn was wearing a red sweatshirt with the number 01 on the back. She also wore navy blue jeans that were slightly ripped and white jogger shoes. Lucy has chosen to wear a black dress with white collars and sleeves. Also having striped leggings, which were placed atop her shiny black slippers.

Lana wore a red baseball cap on her head while having a muddy blue T-shirt and regular blue jeans. White and red sneakers stood in place of her feet. Lola, on the other hand, was wearing a flowing pink dress with a darker colored sash wrapped around her waist. She also wore pearly white dress shoes and a silver tiara on her head.

Lisa has chosen to wear a light green sweater with dark chocolate colored jeans. Coconut slippers slid into her feet accordingly, while the intrusive lab coat rested on her shoulders. Lily had on a lavender colored T-shirt with a heart on it; and a pair of white pants. No shoes, though. She just wore purple socks.

"Lynn," Luna began. "I think you're taking this a bit too seriously..."

Lana agreed. "Yeah, so what if he has some issues? It's not a big deal."

"As if! He just comes into our house and acts like mom and dad, and, if there's one thing knowing about Lynn Loud; is that she doesn't take orders. She gives them!" Stated the sportswoman.

Lori gave her a withering look.

"Again, you might be overreacting." Lana replied.

"I concur with Lana's statements." Explained Lisa. "Clearly, Lincoln sufferers from an extreme level of obsessive behavior towards a more... compulsive level. Commonly known as OCD, this minor quirk of his might _encourage_ his BMS."

Everyone nodded along with her elaborating, but one question struck Leni.

"Like, what _is_ BMS?"

Lisa took the stand. "BMS (a.k.a. Broken Mind Syndrome) is an _extremely_ rare yet extraordinary mental condition. It's commonly mistaken for OSDD, but the results came in as its own classification. Essentially, after a series of intense childhood traumas, the victim (or host) will lose complete control over their body's defense mechanisms."

"There have been multiple cases of BMS throughout the years of the DSM-5 regiment." The scientist later continued. "Meaning, with the extensiveness of Lincoln's BMS, he is able to completely change his body chemistry. Whether it be becoming deaf or diabetic, to manipulating adrenaline and increasing senses. It's all a mystery."

Each sibling digested the information thoroughly. Most found it interesting, while few found it more unsettling. Lily just perceived it as superpowers.

_Knock! Knock!_

All of them turned their eyes to the door. There, through the open door, stood their brother. He had already taken a shower, and wore a similar outfit to when he first arrived. A steel gray button down dress shirt with black jeans with shined dress shoes. His thin rimmed glasses were placed firmly under his brow. With crossed arms, the young man silently stared in anticipation.

He had felt guilty for being stubborn with Lynn. He knew it was wrong. Lincoln didn't want to act like a strict parent, but that compulsive need wouldn't let go of him.

**YOU'LL DO AS I SAY, _LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD!_**

He shuddered. Damn voices. Always putting bad thoughts into his fractured mind. He didn't need this. All he needed was a connection with his new family. Lincoln took a breath of nervousness before speaking.

"I, uh, wanted to apologize for acting out in the kitchen." His gaze turned to Lana, who instinctively winced. "And, for overreacting last night. It was wrong."

"Linc, it's okay." Said Luan reassuringly.

"It's true." Agreed Lisa. "We're aware of your obsessive compulsive disorder, and will try our best to adapt to it."

"Say," began Lori. "Mom and Dad won't be back for a couple hours, why don't we do a group activity?" A series of nods and murmurs of agreements filled the room. They were in.

Lincoln's decision was to let them have their time. He didn't want to bother them again. Before he left, Lori called for him, saying he could join them.

He decided he wouldn't be alone after all.

**•O—O—O•**

As the horde of children sat in the living room, talking amoungst themselves and eating leftover pizza from last night. Lincoln didn't eat, though. He didn't want to cause another incident.

_Click!_

The siblings turned their heads to see their parents arrive through the door. Lincoln's eyes widened. Shit, he forgot about his new parents. They were at work, and he could've spent that time cleaning the house. He cleaned the bathroom, yes, but that wasn't enough. It was never enough.

The orderly man scrambled towards his father and mother and looked at the floor. Submitting to them.

"I-I'm really sorry for not cleanin' the house while you were gone. D-Don't blame your daughters, though, it was all my fault. I'm sorry."

Everyone froze. He was... apologizing? For something he wasn't even instructed to him? Lisa did mention his OCD, so that might've played into it.

Rita gave a sad smile. "Sweetie, we never told you to clean the house. You're not in trouble. Everything's fine."

Lincoln stared back at the two of them with shock. No punishment? That was so... foreign... to him. Was it a trick? Surely not. They said everything was fine. No more beatings. No more yelling. No more bruises. No more getting locked in a closet and getting starved. No more voices telling him what to do. No more of that monster crawling into his bed to touch him.

**LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD! YOU MADE A MESS! GET OUT HERE NOW!**

His shoulders tensed. This couldn't be real. It _HAS_ to be fake. He needed confirmation.

"Everything's fine, Lincoln." Lynn Sr. repeated. "It's okay."

The young man nodded before turning back to sit down in his seat. Of course, in the fashion that he always preformed before sitting down; clearing their minds, the Loud family just waited for the next turn of events. It wasn't until Luan struck the lightbulb.

"Say, it's a nice day, why don't we go outside—y'know, get some fresh air?" Said the comedienne.

The idea of going outside froze Lincoln's heart; the outside world was inhabited by pointing fingers, staring eyes, and vicious words. He couldn't go through that again.

The others thought otherwise.

"No." They heard Lincoln's deep voice say. "I'm not goin' outside."

Before any answers were formed, Lucy took a step forward in order to defend him. "I can stay with Lincoln while you guys are gone. That'll give us a chance to tidy up the house."

"I shall accompany them as well." Lisa added.

Seeing no other reason for a counter argument, it was decided. The three introverts would stay inside.

**•O—O—O•**

Lincoln, Lisa and Lucy all struggled to find an activity to do. Admittedly, Lincoln began cleaning as soon as they left, but his two little sisters assured him that they could take their time. In their respective opinions, they felt like he deserved a bit of semblance.

Lisa told them that she would be using the bathroom, so that left the goth and her brother. They both sat on the couch, next to each other, discussing whatever came to mind. Lucy attempted to pry some knowledge out of Lincoln, but his answers were short, calculated and vague.

"Would you like to hear a new poem I made? It's about you." Asked the girl.

He stared. "Sure."

Having a new found vigor, Lucy cleared her throat and began reciting.

"_Big Brother._

_I know this may seem anew, _

_But I know our care is true._

_You brought us something we can cherish,_

_Something you can cherish too._

_This may seem strange, yes, _

_But don't get us wrong._

_We'll help each other out, _

_So that we may stay strong._

_Take it to heart, big brother, when we stick like glue,_

_Just know, deep down, that I love you._

_Big Brother_."

Lucy folded up the paper and placed inside her dress pocket. After a moment of silence, the goth timidly hugged her brother from the side. Her chest pressing against his arm, while her head was buried deep into the crook of his shoulder. Her arms were splayed on his chest and back, as well.

The young goth heard a sharp intake of breath which startled her. Looking up, Lucy saw Lincoln's clenched jaw and stiff posture; though he was shivering a bit. She let go of him, in fear she would make him more uncomfortable.

He let out an uneven hum, almost a whimper, of vulnerability.

"L-Lincoln?"

"I have to go." He whispered.

"No! Wait, Lincoln I'm sorr-"

"I need to go." He repeated, but at a much higher voice.

The orderly man quickly rose from the couch, slipping out of Lucy's grasp. He hurried himself upstairs, avoiding anything else. Lisa has come out of the bathroom just to hear a door slam shut. The scientist grew curious.

Stepping downstairs, she was met with the sight of a malcontent Lucy Loud. The goth explained everything. And Lisa was surprisingly calm about the situation; all she did was tell Lucy to "apologize to him when you feel the time is right. It could be tomorrow, next week, or the next minute. The point is, be cautious about _how_ you approach the matter."

And Lucy could agree there. He was foreign to the land of the Loud, and with her help, she was going to guide him to safety. Afterwards, both she and Lisa started tidying up the house.

The owed it to him.

**•O—O—O•**

_Stupid, stupid, stupid..._ Lincoln paced around his small room, side to side, as he currently contemplated his options. It was all his fault. His sister was trying to do something nice for him, and he screwed it up to hell.

To be fair, she touched him in an inappropriate way, but he shouldn't have acted out so... irrationally. Childish. He had to stay good. He could still hear the venom in that monster's voice.

**THEY NEVER LOVED YOU, _LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD!_**

He sighed.

**•O—O—O•**

**And that concludes chapter three of "_Letting Go_". Thank you again for reading this, I had a lot of fun writing it. I was honestly expecting some negative reviews coming from this story, but I've been getting nothing but positivity from you all. I can't stress on how thankful I am for that; and that just proves that I'm actually doing this correctly. I'm still keeping my word about "_Letting Go_" being my top priority for the rest of the summer—but don't worry. All my other previous stories, and come future stories, will come into fruition. And I have your support to thank. Also, I'm kind of 'expecting' more and more reviews, because I just like responding to them; and I _genuinely_ want to hear your thoughts. Even if it's something small, share it—believe me, it'll be worth it. On top of that, I really need to step up my game. And, other than that, I only ask that you enjoy my content. If not, then so be it. That's life, my friends. Stay tuned and stay cool everyone. Cheers!**


	4. A Way Out

**Hey everyone. It's always great seeing you again. I know, I know; I'm updating a little too soon (hell, chapter five _might_ come out in the next few days too) and—in my defense—I _did_ say that the updates would be random for this one. The point is, I don't want to get too 'trigger-happy' with this story. I _really_ feel like like I'm catching the glimpses of you all on this one, and I like that. So far, no negativity. Onto the Mailbox:**

**SpartanXHunterX: Again, _extremely_ honored to have you with me and my content. And thank you for analyzing that this "isn't" like a run-of-the-mill AU of Lincoln being adopted. At first, I wanted to keep the characters the same age—but, I thought, that wouldn't work with the tone. Yes, the girls are more independent; thank you for catching that; and I _wanted_ Lincoln to have these... conditions... in order for the Loud sisters to have an obstacle. You're right too, Lincoln may never change, but that doesn't mean that he can't grow accustom to the girls' antics. Thank you for the feedback.**

**nuuo: I'm also happy that this story is getting my attention. And don't worry, nobody's pressuring me to do this and I won't wear myself out. Lisa describing BMS was mainly for the readers, such as yourselves, and for a way for the Loud sisters to fully comprehend the gravity of Lincoln's condition. Thanks for the feedback.**

**nightmaster000: Thanks ****mate! Thank you for the feedback.**

**Enjoy.**

**•O—O—O•**

Chapter 4: A Way Out

_It was dark and cold inside his room. The entire house reaked of cigarette smoke and alcohol; he'd always fight back tears whenever those smells would grow stronger. It meant she was near. The monster. He still recovering from the last beating, and, he'll be honest, he never thought it could get any worse. Sadly, today was like any other. The monster said that he had to stay in his room for the entire week, or there would be hell to pay._

_The voices wouldn't leave him alone either, constantly whispering and yelling these horrible, horrible things that he didn't want. The crack in the window shield let in a glimmer of moonlight. Good, it was nighttime. Nighttime reminded him of his parents._

_The way his daddy would read him bedtime stories and give him the softest blankets to cuddle with. The happy dreams he would have about him and his parents in a large field, running through the grass without a care in the world. And when he woke up, he was greeted with the smell of a delicious breakfast his mommy would make._

_But they were gone now._

_He emptied those thoughts from his bed. The voices were active again. Telling him him to run away. To run away and never return. Other voices would argue, saying if he ran away, then the monster would find him. He gripped the sides of his head in frustration. He needed solace._

_Small tears escaped his eyes and trickled down his cheeks. He didn't know what to do anymore. Wiping his watery eyes, and sniffling softly, he finally calmed himself. Looking around the empty room, he figured it was time. He attempted to stand up, but his body cringed. The leather belt she used on him three hours ago still left him sore, but he powered through._

_He stared at the door. Frightened. What would happen if he opened it? Would the monster charge in with the hot-iron like last time? Or would she not come at all? Maybe she would wait for him to reach the hall way, pounce on him, and drag him back into her room for... discipline._

_He didn't know._

_The boy nervously gulped and took the risk. He reached up to the knob of the door and tugged it open. He instinctively closed his eyes, wincing, and shielded his face with his arms. But nothing happened._

_His eyes carefully opened and was met with the sight of an empty hallway. Was she asleep? His curiosity wouldn't let go. Cautiously, the boy grabbed his blanket and stepped out of his room. Nothing happened. The boy continued to take easy and small steps, in fear the monster would hear him. He reached the stairwell._

_Peering down, the boy could hear faint amounts of static. At first, he assumed it was the voices. But, he realized it was real. It was happening. So, never clinging off his curiosity, he carefully trekked downstairs._

_He took cautious steps, alerting himself as much as possible. When he reached the bottom, he gripped tightly on his blanket, and stepped forward. The boy saw the monster sitting on the couch, sleeping, while holding a half empty bottle of beer. The TV was on; and it was playing the static. Sighing, the boy knew what he had to do._

_He walked over to the TV and turned it off. Then, he went over to the monster. Trembling slightly, his hand reached for the bottle and grabbed it from her—placing it on the floor. The monster snored. The boy jumped back in fear, and landed on his rear. He sighed._

_The boy stood back up, ignoring the aforementioned pain, and scrambled near the monster. He took is blanket and covered her body with it. His face still remained blank, hopeless, and he decided that he should go to sleep as well._

_Walking back upstairs, he went back to his room and closed the door. Silently, he considered his options. The monster said that he wasn't allowed to sleep on his bed, because he might get it dirty. That was unfair. The same unfairness that wouldn't allow him to watch TV, to go outside, or have any friends. It was all unfortunate for him._

_He slept underneath the bed._

**•O—O—O•**

_"**LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD!**"_

_The boy winced. There was no point in running from her, so he stayed in place. Currently, he was in the bathroom—he didn't know why he was here, all he knew was that he was there. The monster was seen at the other side of the hallway, near the door of his room, and charged to him._

_"What did I tell you?! YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO LEAVE YOUR ROOM!"_

_He didn't like it when she yelled. Wincing again, his bladder decided to empty itself in fear; even though the toilet was inches away. The monster's expression hardend, and she struck him with the back of her hand, making him fall to the floor._

_"YOU BITCH! PEEING YOURSELF ON MY FLOOR?! **PATHETIC!**"_

_He began to cry. Why? Why did she always want everything clean?! It didn't matter. He made a mistake. And he was going to get punished. She struck him again, earning louder sobs and sniffles from the little boy._

_"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU, AND **THIS** IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! **DISGUSTING!**" She yelled, still hitting him. "WHAT WOULD YOUR PARENTS THINK?! THAT THEIR SON IS A DIRTY **BED WETTER?!**" She continued to hit him._

_The boy still sobbed. It was no use; he could never escape her. The fact that she mentioned his parents hurt even more. The way she would mock him and bully him to no end just left him lost, misguided and traumatized. His attention was drawn back when the monster began yelling again._

_"This is why you don't sleep on a bed! You're just a FILTHY LITTLE **INGRET!** IF YOU WANT TO BE DIRTY, THEN I'LL MAKE YOU DIRTY!"_

_No! No, not again!_

_The monster lunged towards the boy and began taking off his pants. He struggled, but the monster back handed him, letting his head impact the tiled floor. With minor issue, the monster removed his pants and underwear. One of her hands snaked back, gripping hard on the crying boys scalp. She thrusted her other arm forward, forcing the soiled clothing to his face._

_"Look what you did! **LOOK AT IT, LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD!**" _

_She continued to shove the dirty pants to his face, and the boy was met with the wretched stench of urine. His urine. The monster couldn't hear his cries, his begs of forgiveness, and never stopped pushing the clothes into his face. The boy kicked his legs back in defense, not caring if he hit anything; he just wanted it to stop._

_Then, unintentionally, his leg collided with her bent knee and pushed her away from him. The monster fell back on her bottom and stared at the boy with rage. He rolled over, and got up. Fully ignoring the pain his body ached, the little boy ran away. _

_Tears were flooding his eyes and blocking his vision, but he didn't care. Anything to get away from that monster. He almost reached the door to his room, but collapsed only inches away from it. Adrenaline faded from his muscles and was replaced with pain and tiredness._

_He heard the monster run towards him._

**•O—O—O•**

_The boy was seen getting dragged by the hair into a room by the monster. Today he was getting punished because he folded the laundry incorrectly. The monster threw him to the floor of the room and went to a nearby drawer. She turned to him with a wooden ruler in her hand._

_Please... no more._

_"Pants off. **NOW.**" _

_Now shedding small tears, the boy fumbled with his clothes and dropped both his pants and underwear to his ankles. Now exposing himself to her. He bit on his lower lip, chin quivering, and sniffled in fear._

_"LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD! HANDS OUT!"_

_Reluctantly, the boy presented his hands to the monster. Arms shivering and chest quaking, he closed his eyes, knowing what would happen next._

_*SLAP!*_

_She hit the ruler against his palms and he instinctively reeled his arms back from the torment. The burning feeling stinging his hands to no end. But the monster quickly grabbed both his wrists and continued to beat his defenseless hands with the ruler._

_The boy cried and cried. His knees shook with every ounce of fear he could muster; he almost urinated himself, but didn't. Wetting himself would only bring more trouble._

_*SLAP!*_

_*SLAP!*_

_***SLAP!***_

_The monster, now noticing that he was rubbing his thighs together, stopped. The end of the ruler reached the boy's chin. Forcing him to look up, he nervously opened his eyes and was met with a punch to the face._

_The boy fell back with a thud. Now on his back, he felt a cold liquid dripping from his nose. It was blood. If so much as one drop got on the floor, he would never hear the end of it. The monster towered over the boy and lunged towards him. The boy saw her straddling his forelegs and aim the ruler against her target._

_No... no please! Please!_

_The monster began beating the ruler against his genitalia mercilessly. His small hands immediately went to cover his pained crotch, but the monster kept slapping them away. _

_***SLAP!***_

_***SLAP!***_

_***SLAP!***_

_***SLAP!***_

_"THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT!"_

_His testicles writhed in pain while penis twitched. The bruises were slowly becoming more prudent and distasteful. One of her hands reached forward and squeezed his testicles, nails digging into his sensitive skin. Continuing to beat his abused genitals, she heard the boy scream._

_Quickly, the monster dropped the ruler slapped him clean across the face. His wails suddenly stopped. Tears and blood still leaking from his face, the little boy looked up and saw the monster staring directly at his body._

_The monster's predatory gaze lingered from the boy's mouth, down to his chest, and finally his crotch. The grip she had on said organ loosened slightly, and the boy was flooded with confusion. Why was she looking at him like that? What was she planning?_

_Suddenly, the monster thrusted her face forward and captured his lips with her own. Her tongue inside his inexperienced mouth and twisted and twirled it around his. The boy tasted alcohol and cringed. He nervously shuffled his body from the sudden intrusion, causing him to shiver all over. _

_He felt the monster rub her hand against his genitalia in a soothing, almost comforting manner. If it wasn't for his ever growing fear and confusion, he would have... liked it? Like was a bit of strong word, and he didn't have any replacements for it. The monster's free hand cupped his cheek._

_The little boy felt his penis twitch and throb; he was suddenly afraid. This... felt wrong. Weird. The monster immediately released her lips from his. Now frightened, the boy looked up fearfully at the monster's watchful eyes. _

_She gave him a seductive smile._

_He whimpered._

**•O—O—O•**

_Never in a million years he thought it could get even worse. The boy wad laying down in the floor, silently accepting his last punishment. The monster would always target certain areas of his body whenever he needed to be __disciplined. _

_Sometimes she would target his legs, sometimes she would target his crotch; but the most painful is when she targets his mouth. At times, she would beat his tongue—other times, she would force him to put things in his mouth._

_This time was different. She actually kicked him in the mouth, the blood still dripping from his gums. The boy only felt that level of pain after she beat him with coat hangers several times. Always._

_"LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD! YOU MADE A MESS! GET OUT HERE **NOW!**"_

**•O—O—O•**

Lincoln woke up.

**•O—O—O•**

**Thank you all for reading this. This chapter took a lot of time to think over, and process. Believe me, it took a while to actually formulate this chapter. Several rough drafts, here and there, but that's water under the bridge. I wanted _this_ to be presented the way it is because it gives us (the reader) a glimpse of what life was like for Lincoln. Just a bit of perspective. I actually considered writing the prequel of "_Letting Go_" before chapter five came out. But, I made the decision of releasing said prequel when "_Letting Go_" is finished. A little food for thought for you. It also follows up with the theme of Flagg1991's "_The Cest Kids_": the victim becoming the abuser. And it gives me a lot to think about. And... I want to be honest. No jokes, no sarcasm. The character of Lincoln's aunt was strongly based on my own mother. I don't really like talking about it, but I feel a level of respect and trust between myself and my audience. I hope you understand. Stay tuned and stay cool everyone. Ciao.**


	5. Chocolates

**Hello everyone. It's a pleasure meeting you all again. I apologize for keeping you all waiting, but I suppose you don't need a reminder of life's impermanence. With that said, I discovered something. I finally figured out how the Private Messages work; I know, I know—shocker! In my defense, I am still learning the quirks of this website, but my stupidity is inexcusable. I had thirty five separate messages—and I was completely unaware. I feel terrible. But, that feeling has left me; it's nice to humble myself and accept these small mistakes. Still, I can't help but feel proned to apologize for ignoring all those users. Oh! Little side note, this chapter will have a little more _action_ than the last four. Other than that, let us check the Mailbox:**

**SpartanXHunterX: Agreeing with your statement would be the understatement of the century. And yes, it really _does_ put a perspective on why Lincoln is the way he is. He definitely doesn't want to relive it, but sooner or later, the Loud family will find out about his dark past. Thank you for the feedback.**

**BladeGlass60****: I can assure you, Lincoln's biological aunt is long gone, but not forgotten. The only way she will show up is through flashbacks. Thank you for the feedback.**

**nuuo: Thank you for pointing out my spelling mistakes. I swear, it's SO annoying whenever they pop up. Yes, ingret is a regional term I grew up with—it you want me to switch up some words in the future, I'd be happy to. The second half of your review was a little difficult to understand, though. After a couple days, I think I understood it. And... I'm very sorry for sharing _that_ with you. I know it was a bit of a bomb to drop; and I feel horrible for making you uncomfortable. I just thought with the level of trust and respect I believe I share with you all, it would be a simple set of coming to terms with myself as a writer. Thank you for the feedback.**

**Enjoy!**

**•O—O—O•**

It had been a full week since Lincoln's arrival to the Loud house; a full week of adjusting. Dr. Joanna dropped a couple visits from time to time, and was very impressed with Lincoln's progress. The Loud family themselves had discovered new things about their new addition. Apparently, Lincoln had a job, but didn't bother to tell them—as it was closed for rumored gas leaks.

Lincoln himself, however, wasn't faring any better. The orderly man did his best to avoid one of his sisters ever since the incident. He felt... lost. Confused. And mostly ashamed. The voices were lingering in his mind, but didn't reemerge; Joanna made sure it would stay like that for a long time. Currently, Lincoln was sat in his room, silently contemplating his options (yet again) for this new day.

He prayed it would be better.

**•O—O—O•**

Lucy miserably layed on her black bed and sighed. She felt horrible. Lincoln had been avoiding her, but, who was she to blame him? She knew she came off too strong, but the goth believed that she didn't deserve to be shadowed for five days and counting. And the problem was that she'd feel bad for addressing it to him in the first place.

Ugh.

Taking a breath, the goth rose from her comforter—feeling the friction between fabric and bedsheet— and walked out of the room, hoping that yesterday's prayer would actually work: Lincoln actually noticing her again.

Across the hallway, Lucy stopped dead in her tracks when met with her brother's door. Was he still in there? Lincoln always stayed in his room ever since he arrived, only coming out to eat or clean himself. The orderly man made no effort to connect with his siblings.

_Fuck it,_ Lucy thought, _I might as well check on him._ So, snapping out of her thoughts, the thirteen year old crept silently to her brother's room. Step by step, Lucy met the end of the hallway with the prize being Lincoln's door. But she didn't knock.

For some godawful reason, Lucy's entire body froze. Why was she so... frightened? Would Lincoln continue to ignore her? Would she actually get him to smile? Too many questions niggling in her mind. After taking a slow, rhythmic breath, the goth knocked.

Moments later, the door slowly opened to Lincoln with the same, emotionless expression.

The man in question, however, was panicking on the inside. He prayed that his appearance didn't any signs of weakness. Why? Why didn't this Lucy girl leave him alone? Did she do it out of pity? Out of compassion? Lincoln decided not to care anymore.

"Can I help you?" He asked in a low voice.

The goth ended her pause. "I just wanted to apologize for hugging you like that. I hope we can start over. Please?"

Her brother ran a hand over shaven hair and sighed. After a quick silence, he spoke. "I forgive you."

She offered her hand. "Apology handshake?"

He nodded. Lincoln took out his hand and firmly accepted his sister's offering. On Lucy's end, the goth felt a strange sensation touching her petite hand and looked down. Lincoln was shaking hands with her, yes, but his hand was covered by his orange cleaning cloth. Lucy then remembered that he was a germaphobe.

They disconnected from each other. "Hey," said Lucy, "wanna go see what the others are up to?"

"Sure."

Maybe today will be better.

**•O—O—O•**

As the two trekked downstairs, the introverts were met with with all their other siblings, sans Lola and Lana. Lori, Lynn, Lisa and Luan were perched comfortably at the couch while Leni and Luna sat on each of the recliner chairs at their leisure. Lily was sat on the floor, coloring. A lazy Sunday, as Luan would put it. Even though it was Friday.

Lucy began the conversation. "Where's everyone else?"

"Mother and father went to drop off the twins at a friendship bonding process through resting; street name: sleepover." Lisa answered.

The goth nodded and walked over to the couch, scooting some room for herself—and was now sitting in between Lisa and Lori. Lincoln was about to find himself a seat before a particular imperfection caught his eye, fueling his sudden ire.

One of the coffee tables was dirty.

The stone faced man adjusted his glasses before taking a deep breath and clenching his fists. Lily caught sight of this this and winced. She didn't like it when he did that, usually something bad happens. All the others quickly feared for the worst.

"Is something wrong?" Leni chose to ask.

Lincoln sighed. "I cleaned this table two hours ago."

_There he goes again,_ Lynn thought quietly. The other girls thought they weren't so dilapidated with their furniture and set their gaze onto the table. It looked perfectly fine! But, by Lincoln's standards, it wasn't. Their brother reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pair of orange cleaning gloves. Lincoln put them on and carefully exited the room with the coffee table in his hands.

Once Lincoln left, everyone noticed the atmosphere of the room was less... chilly. Luan decided to lighten the mood and chuckled. "Wow, I guess you could say he's be next Andrew Kehoe or John George Haigh, right?"

Luna gave her sister a noxious look. "Dude... not cool."

"What?"

"I somewhat concur with Luan's comedic statement." Lisa interjected. "Often times, victims of childhood trauma do end up becoming serial killers. Especially ones with OCD."

"Okay," stated Lori, "but that doesn't mean we literally have to say that about Lincoln." Luna and Lucy nodded along with Lori's claims.

Lily, however, didn't. "He still scares me."

"Don't say that Lily. Lincoln has feelings too."

"But he's scary..."

Nobody noticed Lincoln hiding in the crept of the living room, gripping the coffee table with gloves hands and staring intently at his sisters. _How dare they...!_ One of them rattled in his head; the others eager to join in.

Please... stop talking.

_Look at those unworthy trash. Such a waste. _Another chimed.

Oh for gods sake, not this again. If Lincoln got a dollar for every time they mentioned "the unworthy", he'd be rich. Very very rich.

_What's wrong? Do you actually love them?! Or do you like keeping them for yourself, for more... intimate sessions?_

Shut up! His mind screamed. I'm not a pervert. I'm not a pervert. I'm not a pervert.

_Yes you are!_ The previous said with a couple others. _I bet you like jacking off, thinking about their bodies~. Especially the younger ones, you pedophile!_

STOP IT!

Lincoln could hear their laughter echo in his throbbing ears while he gripped harder on the furniture. The orderly man felt a painful sensation in his nether regions and quickly realized he had an erection. Tears swelled in his eyes, but blinked them back, preventing them from running down his cheeks.

He was unsuccessful.

Still in their argument, the Loud sisters suddenly heard the clanking thud of the coffee table impacting the floor. Turning their heads over their shoulders in a swift manner, each one saw Lincoln rush up to his room to close the door shut.

They quickly put two and two together.

Lincoln was listening the whole time.

**•O—O—O•**

"I'm glad we could have another session, Lincoln."

"The feelin' is mutual Dr. Joanna."

In the brazen, colorful room, Lincoln Antonio Loudd had yet another session with his lovely psychiatrist/psychologist, Dr. Joanna. The elder woman was wearing a peach colored dress with green and purple leaf like patterns. As well as a yellow scarf and clip-on slippers. He was wearing the usual. A dark grey button down dress shirt with black jeans and dress shoes.

Joanna leaned forward from her seat. "How has your stay been with the Loud family."

Lincoln was conflicted. Does he tell the truth, on how his sisters have treated him this past week? Or a lie, to save their title of a "Happy Wholesome Family"? Reluctantly, he went for the latter.

"They've been treatin' me _very_ nicely. And I'm bein' good."

"Excellent." Her expression changed, however. "I can only assume that the voices have... interfered... from time to time, am I correct?"

Lincoln replied robotically. "We're bein' good."

_We..._ one of them said happily.

Joanna grew suspicious. "Are you _sure_?"

Lincoln nodded. "The others are under control, Dr. Joanna."

Her suspicions were still there, but faded slightly. She trusted Lincoln, but even she had to admit that he was a strange case. Her thoughts were interrupted when Lincoln rose from his seat and wiped the chair with his cleaning rag.

"Leaving so soon, Lincoln?"

"I'm sorry. I just don't wanna be late. I'm buyin' the family a present for treatin' me well."

The doctor's face brightened. "That's wonderful!"

Lincoln merely nodded. See, two days ago, he threw a bit of a tantrum because the television screen was cracked. That and what happened today should be enough reason for an apology gift. Yes, his sisters said bad things about him—but he got used to that by now. He just felt bad that he dropped that perfectly clean table.

The two friends bid each other goodbye and enjoyed their time before life threw another obstacle at them. But for Lincoln, it would come sooner than he thinks.

**•O—O—O•**

The front door to the Loud house carefully opened as Lincoln stepped in. Lincoln's gloved hands reached over to push the big, wooden rectangle shut and he was successful. Thankfully, all his family members were present. His parents were comfortably sat on the recliner chairs while all his sisters were squeezed together on the singular couch.

Lincoln steadily watched as his parents occasionally turn a crisp page of the newspaper they were reading while his siblings all looked at their phone (Lily was looking at Leni's) like they were trapped in their own little world. Eventually, the orderly man cleared his throat in an exaggerated manner. All eyes turned to his figure while setting down papers and turning off phones.

Lincoln stated. "I wanted to apologize, for my rather... _unorthodox_ behaviors this past week." He then presented his offering. On Lincoln's hands was a sizable case of chocolates. The case was a stubby cylinder and velvet with a golden sash running diagonally down the cover. The lovely case held twenty-four chocolates of all different flavors and textures.

That had to do it, right? Lincoln thought, women loved chocolate. Joanna has a bowl of chocolates on her desk and chocolate was one of the ways to avoid the monster's attention. This had to work.

Twelve pairs of eyes widened, one out of fear for Lincoln while the other eleven preyed on their new prize. Rita, Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lily magnetized their predatory gaze to the delicious treat. Lynn Sr. cowered and prayed for his son's safety—if only Lincoln knew what he had gotten himself into.

"Is... Is somethin' wrong?" Lincoln asked. He shifted uncomfortably.

Faster than lightning, all the women lunged themselves toward the man with the shaven white hair, but toppled into a dog pile mere inches away from a now frightened Lincoln.

Rita, at the bottom, grunted under her daughters' weight. "Lincoln, sweetie, give _me_ the chocolate and... and... a-and I'll raise your allowance!"

The orderly man was confused. He didn't even get an allowance. "I-I..."

Suddenly, Lana squirmed out of the horde and pulled the case from Lincoln—who was now shivering—and laughed triumphantly. The rest of the women broke free and were quick to jump Lana for their tasty reward. Each one's hands grabbed for it.

First was Lola. "These are worthy for _only_ a princess!"

Then Lori. "It's literally for me!"

Lucy swiped the prize and held it high. "The dark treat is mine!"

Lincoln could only stand there in fear what was happening. And then, his body convulsed. The voices were defending themselves, and him, again. His vision blurred and felt a tugging sensation on the back of his neck. Lincoln's face contorted while the veins in his neck bulged.

Apparently they didn't like the yelling and fighting as much as he did.

Lynn Sr., taking full notice of this, feared for the worst and stepped in—a noticeable difference from when he was frozen minutes ago. The father of eleven quickly placed his two index fingers at his lips and blew the loudest whistle he could muster.

All the Loud girls stopped and turned to Lincoln when they heard him make a strange noise, like gasping and suppressing a sneeze. Their eyes widened when they saw Lincoln finnaly let out a relaxed breath. Lincoln himself knew what _they_ did. He could feel it; the lurch in his stomach, the hazy feeling of being lighter, and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Since his head wasn't spinning, he figured it was Type 1.

Yep, they made him diabetic. Again. Seriously, _this_ was supposed to protect them? From what? Avoiding any further thoughts about it, Lincoln turned his silent anger towards the Loud family.

Each one was frozen in place. Lily had ahold of the chocolate, but they didn't care anymore. A great deal of shame panged through to each one of them before Luna chose to speak.

"Bro, we're-"

The rocker was interrupted by Lincoln's hand being held up, signifying that she stop talking. The gloved hand was still shaking, but the orderly man tried hard to keep it through. The family noticed that Lincoln's clothes looked a little bit baggy on him—like he had suddenly lost weight.

He took of his glasses and noticed that he could see just fine without them. Great. They changed his vision too. Carefully placing the spectacles in his breast pocket, Lincoln walked past the statues and headed for his room up the stairs.

Snapping out of their frozen forms, the Loud family simply looked at each other in exasperation of what they had just caused. Others chose a blank stare. Then, they heard footsteps coming downstairs. They rearranged themselves to where they were all crowding half the room.

Lincoln came downstairs in a completely different outfit, startling the family. His glasses were off and he seemed less tense. The white haired man wore beige colored sweater with a white collar and a breast pocket. He also wore khaki jeans that were silver tan, and ended with brown dress shoes.

A distinct color on the articles of clothing was orange. Lincoln had a orange handkerchief folded in his breast pocket, as well as orange outlines and patterns around his sweater. The family also noticed the outline of Lincoln's cleaning rag in his pant pocket; and his hair seemed to shine more, more noticeable—despite it being shaved.

To say the least, Lincoln looked like an upperclassmen.

The Loud family was baffled. How? Why? Their floods of confusion were simmered when they saw Lincoln casually walk to the nearest garbage disposal and threw away the empty insulin shot.

Lisa, assuming at best, understood the gravity of what had happened. "They made you diabetic?"

Lincoln turned to the young prodigy and shrugged. "Yeah. I keep the necessary equipment if things like this ever happen." The family grew more baffled. His voice was different too. Less deep and critical, more mysterious and charming. Similar to a boyish level of manliness; not too much, not too little.

Perhaps the BMS was responsible for this. They didn't know.

All they knew is that Lincoln was different.

**•O—O—O•**

"So, what do you guys wanna do?"

The question Lincoln had asked caught the Louds off guard. Usually he was quiet, stone faced and kept to himself. The entire Loud family was placed in the living room once more. The parents occupying the chairs while the clan of sisters took over the couch. Lincoln merely grabbed a chair from the kitchen and set it beside the TV and sat on it.

"How about charades?" Luan suggested.

They all quickly disagreed with the idea.

Lisa thought. "What about twenty questions?"

Lincoln smiled, staring intently at the scientist. "I like that idea." He purred. They were all silently surprised that he was actually smiling.

Eventually, they all decided the same. They'd play twenty questions. Soon, all the Louds were in Lori and Leni's room (since it was the most spacious) sitting in a circle. Lynn Sr. at one end, and Lily at the other. Luna, humming _Feel the Pain _by Destiny Rose, and began the array of questions.

"What's your favorite month?"

They went in order. "July." Lynn Sr. answered.

Moving to his right, it was Lucy's turn. "October."

On her right, Leni exclaimed. "February!"

Rita was next. "I'd say... March."

Then Lincoln. "November."

Lisa thought for a moment. She was actually struggling to choose her favorite month. Should she choose her birth month? No. Too obvious—plus she hated August. Unexpectedly, Lincoln's hand went over her back and gently patted the prodigy's left shoulder.

"C'mon," Lincoln said, "use that big brain of yours."

Lisa, surprised, blurted out. "September."

After the brief moment of silence (they needed time to digest what Lincoln just did), they continued. Lola answered. Then Luan. Then Lori. Then Lily. Then Lana. Lisa paid no attention to their answers; her mind was still getting over what her brother had done.

That... couldn't have come out of nowhere, right? Lincoln was being relatively more chill/layed back and affectionate in comparison to his cold, emotionless demeanor. Lisa was certain of one thing: BMS was a very confusing yet interesting condition.

Her attention was brought back to the game when she felt a pressure on the shoulder that Lincoln had held. The ten year old's body froze, but her widened eyes leered to her left shoulder, and noticed Lincoln's hand was rubbing it rather gently. If she had been familiar to the touch, it would have been comforting. But this felt strange.

Her eyes then turned to the man in question. Lincoln wasn't looking at her, but instead looking at everybody else; awaiting their answers for twenty questions. A smile was on his face and Lisa almost thought that his hand was moving on its own. But then she was against that idea. That would be ridiculous.

_He couldn't possibly be.._., Lisa thought. _No. I'm sure it's all in good reason_. Then, after having enough of Lincoln's non consensual massage, the scientist opted to speak.

Lincoln's face perked up when he heard his name, but where did it come from? The sound was only a small mumble. Turning to his mother, he saw that she was still enamored in twenty questions; but, when he turned to his kid sister, he saw the damage.

"W-Would you, um, remove your hand from my shoulder please." She timidly pleaded.

Lisa felt the rubbing stop. Good. It made her uncomfortable. She then noticed that her brother took out his orange cleaning rag and wipe his hand—the hand that caressed her—furiously, as if it were infected or diseased. One things for sure, Lincoln felt incredibly guilty, without Lisa's knowledge.

Damn voices. Treating his body like a puppet. He ought to get lobotomized just to get rid of them. But, on second thought, they'd probably find a way to defend themselves and it would be fruitless. That or they all die. Lincoln didn't want that.

The man with the shaven white hair took one last glance at Lisa. He felt horrible that she had to go through that. Lincoln knew for sure that he was going to make a promise, a promise to be the best brother he can be. And good brothers don't touch their sister's like that.

_You gotta admit, she is pretty cute. And we all know how you feel around the cute ones_. Another laughed.

Shut up.

_Hey, if you don't like her, I'm sure the other girls would be more to your liking. Right?_

Absolutely not.

_You're no fun!_ A third voice annoyingly yelled.

Lincoln shook his head. He shouldn't have those thoughts about Lisa. Or Lucy. Or Lori. Or any of them! Despite them being kind, and despite those thoughts being forced into him. He. Shouldn't. Have. Them. Ever.

Sadly, the large family could only do five rounds of twenty questions before Lynn Sr. and Rita announced dinner.

**•O—O—O•**

Nightfall fell over Royal Woods as all the citizens stay tuned into their respective homes—the Loud family, on the other hand, were wide awake. Each member was sat in the living room; enjoying their time together.

Lynn Sr. was happily washing dishes in the kitchen while Rita picked up the small mess at the dinner table. Ever since Lincoln's new behavior, he's been bonding with his sisters more and more. They couldn't be prouder.

Lori, with Lily on her lap, was on the recliner chair taking pictures and messaging her friends online. On the other recliner chair were Lana and Lola; they were playing Rock Paper Scissors, with Lana winning. On the arm hold of that chair sat Luna, aimlessly listening to her MP3 player.

Lucy, Lincoln, Luan, Lynn and Lisa were sat on the couch; Lisa on one end and Luan on the other. Leni was standing next to the couch while having a conversation with her joker of a sister. Lincoln and Lucy were also having a conversation, but Lisa kept to herself in the corner of the couch.

The little girl thought back to when Lincoln was rubbing her shoulder like that. It... it had to be an accident, right? Lincoln wouldn't do that just for the satisfaction of disturbing her. He wasn't like that. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Lucy call her name.

"Hmm?" Lisa looked at her sister.

"Lincoln was going to ask you a question."

The prodigy's eyes perked up slightly when mentioning her brother. Speaking of which, her eyes turned to him when Lily left for the bathroom and her parents arrived in the living room, joining their children. Lucy left the two of them to go speak with Lynn.

"Hello Lincoln." She began.

"Hey." He replied. "Are you okay? After... y'know..."

"I assure you everything's fine."

"Okay. If you say so."

As soon as Lily came back from the bathroom, she behaved differently. Timid, almost scared. This wasn't left unchecked by her parents. They asked what was wrong, and what she said unnerved them.

"I saw a strange man outside."

Everyone's eyes were drawn to her, wondering what she had meant. After the realization hit them, the family minorly panicked. Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan and Lynn—along with their parents—stood protectively over the younger ones.

"We should call the police." Rita suggested. Instead, Lincoln raised his hand to silence his shaken family.

"I'll go check it out. If he's gone, we call it a night. If not, we call the cops. Okay?" The Louds gave Lincoln their conformation and decided it was for the best.

Lincoln gave his family one last look before heading out.

_Time to be a good brother._

Lincoln didn't bother turning on the kitchen lights when he went through the back door. As soon as the young man stepped out, the darkness welcomed him. The only amount of light available was the second long flick of the wandering fireflies. Lincoln continued to walk outside.

The grass rustled at every step he took, and Lincoln couldn't see anyone in their yard. All he could see was the outline of the trees and the wooden fence that guarded the yard. Lincoln made the final decision to head back inside.

Too bad the figure got to him first.

Before he could even turn around, Lincoln suddenly felt something impact the back of his head. The young man feel to knees and let out a weak whimper, a breathy whine as he felt his limbs weaken.

His assailant loomed over him, holding a bloody rock in his hand. He dropped the rock beside Lincoln as the white haired man himself fell on his head, incapacitated. He stained the grass red with his life, oozing out of his skull like oil.

The Louds feared for Lincoln's safety. He'd been out for too long. Roughly a few minutes later, they saw a dark figure walk through the open kitchen door. At first, they thought it was their beloved son/brother; but soon realized it was the criminal.

The masked man wore a black letterman's jacket and grey roughhouse jeans with thick black boots at the bottom. His black gloved hands lay lazily against his torso and he stood between the staircase and the front door, the entrance to the kitchen behind him. All he did was stare at them.

Lynn Sr. and Rita instinctively held to all their daughters. Rita noticed the criminal stare intently at her daughters in a perverted manner. That made her grip on her children increase. Lynn Sr., on the other hand, saw the outline of a small knife in the criminal's pocket.

"You can have anything you want." Lynn Sr. offered. "Just don't hurt them."

The man took a step forward and the Loud family reeled back in fear. It was a stand off, that felt like it lasted hours. All of a sudden, the crowd heard rapid steps, charging towards them. The criminal was suddenly tackled by Lincoln from behind, the young man's arms circling his opponent's shoulders.

Lincoln was incoherently growling as he then put assailant in a tight headlock. The light from the living room shone on the younger man and the shocked family saw that the entire right side of Lincoln's face was covered in blood.

Enraged, Lincoln's boa like grip tightened around the criminal. The older man, seeing his plan fail, reached for the front door, thinking of a contingency. Lincoln's hand craned over his opponent and slammed the door shut. Preventing him from leaving.

The horrified Louds saw as the criminal attempted to open the door again, but Lincoln's leg lunged over to kick it closed once again. The criminal took advantage of this and used his weight to slam Lincoln toward the wall next to the stairs. The bloodied man let out a pained cry, but the pain only increased his adrenaline.

His opponent felt the breath slowly leave him as he struggled for ideas. It was then, that one dawned him.

_One Mississippi..._

_Two Mississippi..._

_Three Mississippi..._

Lincoln could hear the voices count, and enjoyed every bit of it. But, he seemed to have underestimated his assailant.

The criminal slowly walked towards the front door once more, using all his energy to reach for the door and get this annoying kid off of him. Finnaly, he had the knob in his hand and slowly pulled the door open.

Lincoln repeated his action and kicked the door shut; but before he could reel back his leg for balance, his opponent took out the hunting knife from his pocket and stabbed Lincoln in the thigh.

The younger man howled in pain and let go of the criminal. Lincoln fell on the stairwell and found his opponent tower over him, knife in hand. Before the criminal could land a blow, he heard a familiar siren.

The Louds, clear of their shock, heard the sirens too; and saw red and blue lights flashing outside their windows.

With widened eyes, the masked man turned to see Lincoln giving him a malevolent grin.

He kicked him and his smug face.

**•O—O—O•**

After the masked man was arrested and Lincoln was treated, a strange yet prudent realization dawned the Louds.

Lincoln could've let the criminal go.

But didn't.

**•O—O—O•**

**Again, I would like to say that I'm terribly sorry for the wait. A LOT of unexpected things have happened, and I'm trying to fit this into my schedule. This chapter, personally, is very important to me, because it explores/explains a bit of Lincoln's mysterious character. I've actually thought of posting another story where Lincoln has BMS (completely different plot compared to this one) and a story that has to do with Clyde. Plus a story on the future of the Louds when faced in a tough spot. And they won't be short-story series'—they'll be genuine; like this one. What do you think? Cheers!**


	6. Why Did This Have To Happen?

**Hello everyone. It's good hearing from you again. For those of you who are new, I recently uploaded a new story called _What We Call Love_. It's a bit similar to _Letting Go_, but still retains its differences. Soon, I will post a small document on future stories; and possibly get your perspective on it. A lot of people got confused with chapter five, so I'll try my best to clear things up on this chapter. Onto the Mailbox:**

**Argentum Agony: Thank you.**

**SpartanXHunterX: Like Paradox Nialum, you have a very excellent understanding of the process of Lincoln's BMS. I apologize if the previous chapter was out of place, I'll try to clear things up in this one. And thank you for understanding life's impermanence and imperfections, it means a lot.**

**NoSoul01: ****Thank you.**

**Paradox Nialum: You have a very sound understanding of how behavior can inspire action; especially with Lincoln's case. And yes, I agree with your thoughts about the situation.**

**Enjoy!**

**•O—O—O•**

When Lincoln awoke, the ringing in his ears faded. Everything was a bit blurry, so the young man sat up and reached for his glasses on the nightstand. After putting them on, he noticed his room seemed a little darker than usual. Lincoln observed his surroundings, but everything was normal, his room was in place. All he had to do was turn on the lights.

He attempted to stand up, but winced at the sudden pain in his thigh. What happened? What was going on? _You finally woke up._ One spoke. _And don't worry about the thigh, you got stabbed when you were strangling that psycho._

What?! He got stabbed and fought someone? Lincoln prayed his family was in good condition. His breaths quickened while his hands began shivering; and it wasn't from fear. His body convulsed and found himself feeling warmer than before. What did they do?

_Don't worry. You're safe now._

Lincoln felt his neck jitter from hearing those whispers. But he needed to check on his family, he had to make sure they were safe. Avoiding his tiredness and pain, the young man stood from his bed and changed his clothing. His gray suit would feel the most comfortable, in his opinion.

**•O—O—O•**

When Lincoln exited his room, he heard nothing. No sound. His parents must've gone to work already, but what of his sisters? The orderly man walked through the halls before treading down the stairs—but something caught his eye. A stain on the carpet floor.

On the bottom of the stairwell rested a crimson stain which lured Lincoln towards it. Lincoln on the other hand, knew what that stain was. He knew it too well.

_Stain remover! We need STAIN REMOVER!_ Lincoln couldn't agree more.

Quickly walking to the back closet, Lincoln found his supply of cleaning products. Which one was for carpets again? He thought. If only he hadn't blacked out, he would remember. He cursed at himself. Jogging his memory, all the color-codes came back; Blue: Tiled Floors, Pink: Ceramic Surfaces, Clear: Drywall and Vinyl. The Yellow one! Yellow was for carpets and fabrics.

Swiftly grabbing the spray bottle with yellow liquid, Lincoln reached for his orange cleaning cloth and disposed of the wretched stain. His knuckles were white from the rigorous scrubbing, but it was a small price to pay for order and cleanliness.

Lincoln ears perked. He heard a noise. It was from outside, definitely outside. Could it be his sisters? After putting away the spray bottle and tucking his cleaning rag in his pocket, Lincoln went to the back door of the kitchen and (with a bit of persuasiveness from the others) reluctantly opened it.

He was met with what was on the other side.

Well, he was right about one thing, his sisters were there; but there were ten strangers (all female) accompanying them. All different ages, shapes and sizes. Who were they? Why were they here?

"Lincoln." His thoughts were cut short when Lori called him. His eyes moved to her and she gave him a concerning look. Lori then whispered something to Luna and led her brother inside.

The two simply stood across from each other in the kitchen.

"Are you okay?"

Lincoln wasted no time with pleasantries. "Who are those people?"

"Their just some friends who wanted to check on us. They heard what happened." Lori explained. "Anyways, we told them about you. And they really wanna meet you." She offered a small smile.

Lincoln considered his options. On one hand, he could shy himself away from the situation; on the other hand, people were actually interested to meet him.

"So, do you wanna meet them?"

"Sure..."

**•O—O—O•**

After Lincoln was introduced to each one of his sisters' friends, he instantly remembered who was who (strangely). Lori had Carol, Leni had Penny, Luna had Sam, Luan had Giggles, Lynn had Margo, Lucy had Haiku, Lana had Beth, Lola had Whitney, Lisa had Darcy, and Lily had Amy. Each one seemed to mimic the behavior and interest of each of his sisters.

Whilst Lincoln stood and stared, he wondered if he was able to control himself with so many women surrounding him. Oh well. At least his sisters could distract them from him. Lincoln's eyes continued to travel amongst the new arrivals, noticing their details. Like Whitney's bracelet covered wrist, Carol's well kept hair, Sam's brightly colored jacket, Amy's sandles, the bobby-pin in Darcy's hair, Margo's socks that reached her knees, Beth's oversized T-shirt, Penny's multicolored nails, the tiny hat on Giggles' head, and Haiku's flowing dress.

His eyes trailed back to Haiku's velvet purple dress. The dress itself was exquisite, don't get him wrong, but Lincoln couldn't help but notice the peculiar blob on the backside of the dress. A stain.

_MOTHERFUCKER! _

_SONOVABITCH! _

_GODDAMNIT!_

Lincoln prayed that those were the voices, instead of his own thoughts. Cursing was bad. But he felt like cursing. Why? Why did God have to do this to him? Now, Lincoln didn't really believe in God, but _someone_ (or at least _something_) must've caused this. He instantly darted his eyes away from the God forsaken stain and kept his gaze on the leaves of a tree. Rustling against the winds breezy caress.

But that annoying stain wouldn't leave his thoughts. Like a burning mark into his mind. How it mocked him, spreading its filth to whoever got near it. Something so disorganized, something so out of order, it couldn't be left alone. It shouldn't be left alone. Lincoln considered his options; would Haiku mind if he told her about it? Remembering is limited social skills, he thought of something else.

That's it! Think of something else to distract him from the stain! Let's see... Dr. Joanna's office (the bowl of chocolates was always off center. Crooked. Disorderly.) _Not helping..._ one criticized. How about chocolate? Chocolates, sweet delicious, savory..., and messy. Like how his sisters and mom reacted when he got chocolates: messy.

Were all women like this? Complex, messy, yet beautiful creatures? _Not all of them are "beautiful"_. Lincoln agreed. While women were overly emotional and unpredictable at times, they were still alluring and quite the sight.

_Except HER! _Lincoln nodded to himself. The monster would only trigger fear, not arousal.

_This isn't working! Just go up to her and tell her she's got a stain on her dress. Problem solved!_

_You forget; it's not as easy as it seems._

_And you have a better idea?_

Please... stop. Just stop.

Lincoln needed to focus. He didn't need them constantly bickering and puppeting his every move. But what should he do? He was too nervous to approach the matter directly, and he couldn't ignore it. His eyes slowly returned to the stain. He simply stared at it. Nothing more, nothing less. That won't hurt anyone, right? Right?

Haiku had just ended her conversation with Sam. She knew the rocker now must've thought of her as a peculiar. Who didn't? Well, Lucy and the other members of The Morticians Club didn't. But that was besides the point. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Lucy's brother standing solely on his own.

Even by Haiku's standards, he was pretty strange. Like a stone wall, or a drone waiting to be ordered. Wait... was he staring at her? Haiku's eyes narrowed as soon as she found out that this strange man was ogling her body. Did all men act like this?

Haiku turned around and took a couple steps towards Lincoln, not noticing the widening of his eyes. The goth cleared her throat in a loud and exaggerated motion, inadvertently catching the attention of a few of the girls. She then pointed to her face, which had a annoyed expression on it.

"My eyes are up here." She told him, rather coldly.

Lincoln's blood froze. She... she thought he was eyeing her. _Way to go, genius_. His hands quaking, he curled and uncurled them spasmodically. It wasn't his fault, right? It was an accident. He was still good. Right? He had to stay good.

**YOUR NOTHING BUT A FILTHY LITTLE BEAST, LINCOLN ANTONIO LOUDD! NOW COME OUT HERE NOW!**

Haiku slowly became more unsettled as Lincoln's face continued to contort and switch expression. Twitching eyes, wrinkling nose, tense jaw.

Did she do something wrong?

**•O—O—O•**

Luna grew closer to the commotion, fearing for the worst. In the middle of it all, the rocker witnessesed Lucy's friend ( what was her name again? Heather?) standing across Lincoln. She appeared nervous while Lincoln's body continued to convulse.

Oh no. Not again. Luna would be damned if this were to happen again.

Quickly walking to her brother's side, she gently put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. "What's wrong, dude?"

Lincoln gasped. "Don't touch me!" He winced after realizing he yelled. "Y-You could get i... infected."

Infected? What was he on about? Still, Luna slowly removed her hand from his shoulder. Turning over to Lucy's friend, Luna motioned for an explanation.

"Your brother was staring me down. It was creepy, even for me." Haiku defended.

Lincoln took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, calming himself. "There's a stain on your dress." Everyone looked at him. Lincoln put his glasses back on.

"Please accept my utmost of apologies. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable." Lincoln continued, looking at the grass. "But your dress is dirty. It's unacceptable."

Haiku raised an eyebrow. "So you're a clean-freak?"

Lincoln's brow furrowed as his hand ran over his shaven white hair uncomfortably. His gaze met the goth.

"I'm just tryin' to be good."

And with that, Lincoln left back inside. Probably to go clean something to take his mind off of what transpired. For Haiku, she couldn't be more lost. First she finds this guy staring intently at her, hears an overt apology from said guy, figures out he's an antisocial germaphobe, and leaves the yard.

Only one question crossed her mind, one she hadn't asked Lucy when demanding an explanation.

What just happened?

**•O—O—O•**

Yeesh, Luan thought, talk about a _germy_ situation. After snickering to herself, the prankster walked up the stairs to her and Luna's room. She could tell, no, _feel _that Lori didn't tell Mom and Dad about what Lincoln got himself into.

Giggles was fun to talk to, though. She hasn't seen that lovable clown since late June. Too bad that she and the other girls left so soon; part of Luan feels Lincoln's behavior had something to do with it. Then again, it wasn't his fault he was like this.

Maybe someday he would tell her why he is the way he is.

Pffft, as _if_.

**•O—O—O•**

For Lucy, she preferred the softer sciences of the world. Unlike her intellectual sister, she didn't mean that literally. It also didn't help that she was waiting for Lincoln. In his room. Even though this was _kind of_ invading personal space and privacy, Lucy needed to talk to him. And she will not be moved.

Plus, it took her time to admire the work of her older brother. Everything was spotless.

When Lincoln entered his room, his eyes widened when he saw Lucy standing in the center of his room. Like a statue. He closed the door behind him and faced his younger sister.

"What're you doin' here? You shouldn't be here."

"Why?" She asked.

_Oh yeah, that's right. She doesn't know what happened the last time you were left alone with someone younger than you._

Shut up. "Because... I'm not normal."

"That doesn't matter to me."

"Did I ruin your friendship with Haiku?"

"No. Lincoln, please stop hiding yourself. I know I sound like a huge hypocrite right now, but it's not healthy to conceal yourself like this."

Lincoln opted. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine."

Lucy frowned. "It doesn't feel like it."

"I'm just tryin' to be good."

"What?"

"I'm just tryin' to be good." He repeated robotically.

"I don't understand. What does that mean?"

Lincoln sighed. "It mean I'm not hurtin' anyone. Lucy, please leave."

"No. I want to help you."

_She's a stubborn one..._

Lincoln ran a hand over his hair before speaking. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll let you help me."

"Deal."

Lucy then walked passed her brother and left the room. Lincoln exhaled. He prayed he would behave himself in due time, less he wanted to be an outcast in his own family.

**I DON'T WANT TO SEE A SPECK IN THIS HOUSE! DO YOU HEAR ME?! NOW START CLEANING!**

Lincoln flinched. And then he sighed.

**•O—O—O•**

**Thank you all for making it this far. I intended on releasing this chapter way earlier, but my birthday interrupted it. And with that, I dearly apologize. I still don't know how long I want _Letting Go_ to be, and I still need to work on the finalization of _What We Call Love_'s second chapter. Maybe I should go back to some of my older stories? I don't know. Perhaps you all should decide. You all seem to make better decisions than I do. I know for a fact that I will be making more stories like this; but I still want to retain originality. I suppose that's the curse of being a writer. I guess I should make my next story a horror. Or a comedy. Or both. I'm ranting, aren't I? Cheers!**


	7. Adoption

**Hello everyone. Long time, no see?**

**This pains me to type it out, but I feel it as a necessary evil, if you will. With the constant bombardment of life always swinging at you when least expected it takes a toll on what you're trying to do in the end.**

**I'm gonna cut to the chase, and spare you all from the pointless theatrics; I'm putting Letting Go up for adoption. It was the first story I wrote that ever got a high amount of attention—that's where the guilt comes in, disappointment from all of you. But, guilt is required in life, it's one of those things that make us human. **

**If any of you wish to revision or reinstall Letting Go for yourselves, go for it. Embrace the creativity. My only request is that you succeed where I had failed.**

**I was extremely disappointed in myself at the execution of the later chapters; I had the right ideas, I just couldn't put them into actual words. And then, madness rains down from the sky, stunting my schedules and adding more overwhelming pressure to my stressed mind.**

**Am I quitting? Of course not. I plan to update Lucky Me and write more stories other than The Loud House. **

**So, with time dwindling, I say that Letting Go is "up for grabs" as some would put it. Thank you to everyone who has tolerated me and been patient with me.**

**Cheers!**


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